The 275th Hunger Games
by Mathomalogical
Summary: 24 tributes are thrown into an arena. This year, the arena is a replica of the Capitol. The 11th Quarter Quell is going to be interesting. Rated T because it's the Hunger Games! THE GAMES HAVE BEGUN!
1. Meet Your Tributes

**Meet Your Tributes**

**DISTRICT 1:**

**M: **Theo Harpond (15)

**F: **Sacred Franco (16)

**DISTRICT 2:**

**M: **Xander Quinn (15)

**F: **Lolita Verona (18)

**DISTRICT 3:**

**M: **Alden Bart (12)

**F: **Jayde Nightrose (13)

**DISTRICT 4:**

**M: **Eddy Williams (18)

**F: **Auricula Simmons (16)

**DISTRICT 5:**

**M: **Rhys Ingredo (17)

**F: **Oriel Rayne (16)

**DISTRICT 6:**

**M: **Samuel Jenkins (13)

**F: **Kat Powers (14)

**DISTRICT 7:**

**M: **Jak Brentlee (13)

**F: **Juliet Ann Knightly (14)

**DISTRICT 8:**

**M: **Bennett Rochard (18)

**F: **Terrilyn Frazier (15)

**DISTRICT 9:**

**M: **Vex Haynes (13)

**F: **Maliara Rocht (15)

**DISTRICT 10:**

**M: **Ash Castello (18)

**F: **Raven Blade (17)

**DISTRICT 11:**

**M: **Demetri Norfolk (17)

**F: **Inyx Watch (17)

**DISTRICT 12:**

**M: **Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (16)

**F: **Maxine Hunter (17)


	2. District 1 Reaping

**Theo Harpond's POV**

I wake up and feel the sunlight streaming through the window onto my face. I embrace the warmth before springing out of bed. It's Reaping Day. Yes.

I find an ironed shirt and pants at the end of my bed. I slip them on and check myself out in the mirror. I am one handsome boy. My blond hair fits the outfit perfectly.

I walk into the kitchen and sit down at the table. My caretaker is making pancakes. She makes pancakes every Reaping Day. This time, though, I'll finally be reaped. Well, I'll volunteer.

My parents died soon after I was born. They tried to escape from District 1 and they were caught. The rest is too horrible to talk about. Ever since then, my caretaker, Joon, has looked after me. She is the best caretaker ever. She spoils me so much. I do deserve it though.

I wolf down the pancakes and talk to Joon about her Games. Joon was in the 257th Hunger Games. She tells me the story of the final two. Apparently, Joon was left with the boy from 7. She threw her sword at his chest and he died almost instantly. She always exaggerates about how anticlimactic the end was.

That's when I hear the siren. I run outside and sprint to the square. I walk to the registration table. They prick my finger and I press down on the book, leaving a bloodstain. I wait in the front for our escort to appear.

**Sacred Franco's POV**

I'm sitting at the dinner table, glaring at Nion. What a stuck-up brat. You see, I'm a very competitive person. So is my sister. My father, Ghold, is happily eating his breakfast. Nion sticks her tongue out at me.

"You know that you're a failure, you redhead freckle-face!" Nion screams in my face. My father does nothing. He only has eyes for Nion. She does everything better than me, so now I don't exist to him.

"I'm gonna steal your spot in the Games, you know!" I yell back. This time, my father looks up. "How dare you say that to your sister!" he fumes.

I get up and run outside. I don't understand why my father can't give me a chance. I just want him to see me for someone who has done something good. Obviously, I haven't done anything good at all.

The siren rings out. I head off to the registration table. As usual, they prick my finger and get me to leave some blood in their stupid book.

I formulate a plan in my head. A plan to use the Games as revenge against my sister. I'm going to volunteer, and there's nothing she can do. I line up in the rows and wait for our escort.

Echelon Blossom walks out onto the stage. He is one handsome man. But that's not my focus here. I'm here to volunteer.

As soon as he opens the female pick, I yell out. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" Echelon invites me onto the stage.

"And what is your name, young lady?" he asks me. I reply with my name. And that is that. I can see my sister fuming in the crowd and I know my plan has worked.

**Theo Harpond's POV**

Sacred Franco is the girl's name. She's actually quite a looker. I think she'll fall for me before the Games. But it'll only be temporary. Because she'll be dead.

As Echelon pulls out the male name, I call out. Echelon smiles at me and gestures for me to come up onto the stage. I tell Panem that my name is Theo Harpond and that I will win for my district.

And with that, I am ushered off the stage, and on my way to winning the 275th Hunger Games.

Bring it on.


	3. District 2 Reaping

**Xander Quinn's POV**

I'm watching repeats of previous Hunger Games on my TV that my father bought me. In this particular Games, a tribute has sliced off another tributes hands and has used the skin as gloves. It must have been a tough challenge, but I think I could do it.

My mother calls out to tell us that it's time for breakfast. I get changed into the outfit she has prepared for me, and saunter into the kitchen. I sit down at the table to be greeted by four smiling faces. My parents, Thalia and Hephaestus, my brother, Sigmund, and my little sister Valkyrie.

"Now, Xander," my father begins. "We know you are going to volunteer, aren't you?"

That thought never crossed my mind. I actually hoped that I would never have to go. But my parents expect a lot from me. They're both victors, and they want their children to be victors too.

"I…I…well," I stammer. I can't believe I'm saying this. "I will volunteer for the pride of my family and my district!" My family cheers for me. "That's my boy!" my father says, slapping me on the back.

After that, I eat my breakfast and go back to my room for a bit. I watch some more of the old Games, before I go to play with my sister. Valkyrie loves me. As we're playing, the siren informs us that the Reaping is beginning.

I walk to the main square. There, they prick my finger and take a bit of blood. Then I go line up with the other boys.

**Lolita Verona's POV**

Today is Reaping Day. Preferably, I'd like to be flirting with the boys, but bringing honor to the district is just as good. And I'll flirt with the male tributes, of course.

I tie my ponytails and swing them over my shoulders. Then I put on my dress. It's a light pink one-sleeved dress that goes down to my knees. Then I slip into my dark pink high heels. I look like someone from District 1, but I don't care. It's my style.

I walk into the dining room, where a large breakfast of everything you can imagine is set out on the table. My mother and father tell me that I'm beautiful. But I already know that.

Esmerelda is already chowing down on some bacon. I give her a smile and she gives me one back. She's the best sister ever. I wonder what she'll feel if I die. But I won't.

All too soon, the Reaping siren is heard. I give my parents a goodbye kiss, and set off with Esmerelda to the Reaping.

We reach the registration table. They prick our fingers and take some blood, as usual. Then we go and line up.

Suddenly, our escort, Demi Barmeere, appears. She makes us watch the Capitol's tacky film, before we get to the fun part. She goes to the ladies bowl and fishes out a name. As soon as she rips the tape, I cry out. "I VOLUNTEER!"

Demi invites me up to the stage and asks me my name. "Lolita Verona," I reply. Then she walks up to the boys bowl.

**Xander Quinn's POV**

The girl walks onto the stage. Her name is Lolita Verona. Before she even pulls out a name, I volunteer. I walk up onto the stage. "What is your name, young man?" Demi asks. I reply. Then I uneasily shake hands with Lolita, and we are on our way to the Capitol, and possibly our deaths.


	4. District 3 Reaping

**Jayde Nightrose's POV**

My friend, Clariza, and I are tampering with a broken television. Here in District 3, being the technology district, we get all the damaged electronics that are recycled. Except this time, we're doing it for ourselves.

After a few wires are soldered together and the new screen is put in place, we plug it in. The image springs to life, as clear as a bright summer's day. We witness the Reaping from 1. That's when I feel sick. I could be reaped. I've only been in one year but Clariza and I have evenly split tesserae duties. I could be in there quite a few times.

Clariza's mother calls us for breakfast. We go into the kitchen, sit down as usual, and wait for whatever Clariza's mother brings us.

You see, I was abandoned at birth. My parents just dumped me on a random doorstep and began a new life. The rest of the details are unknown to me. But what I do know is that the doorstep belonged to the house of Clariza's parents. Clariza was newborn, just like me. We're technically sisters.

Breakfast turns out to be porridge and water. But what else did I expect. We're living on tesserae. Very basic.

After breakfast, we get dressed in some cute knee-height dresses for the Reaping. Then we sit down and watch the Reaping from 2. The boy, Xander Quinn, has volunteered, but he looks uneasy. Maybe he was pressured into it. I see his glasses. I wonder if the Capitol will have mercy on him.

That's when the ear splitting noise echoes through the district, and we head off to the Reaping. The walk to the main square feels like forever, but we finally reach the registration table. They prick our fingers and point to a small cavity in amongst the girls. We follow their instructions and wait.

**Alden Bart's POV**

I'm giving my sister a huge hug. She's really upset. She thinks I'm going to get reaped. But I won't.

"Hey, my little Star, I promise that I'll be staying right here in District 3 with you and Mom. Nothing will happen to me." But I have a really bad feeling something will.

My mother gives us a big breakfast of bacon and eggs. I don't ask how she got them, but Star and I are both privileged to be eating this food.

I still think about Dad all the time. He died 3 years ago when a faulty wire electrocuted him. I still remember the devastation of our family in that time.

I put on my reaping outfit and walk to the square. I want to beat the crowds. When I get there, I hear the siren signal to everybody that the Reaping will commence. I get my finger priced and I take one of the first spots.

**Jayde Nightrose's POV**

Our escort, Tiberius Holloway, appears on the stage. He tries to enlighten the mood with a few jokes, but nothing works. He plays the film that displays how much the Capitol doesn't know about us, before getting down to business.

He walks over to the bowl with the female names in it. He plucks one out in the in the blink of an eye and carefully opens it.

"Jayde Nightrose."

Oh no. How can this be happening? Clariza bursts into tears and gives me a giant hug. I finally walk out into the open. "Don't be shy!" Tiberius tells me, so I walk up onto the stage. Normally I'm a flirty person, but my shyness has taken over. I'm screwed. I won't stand a chance against the other tributes. I wonder what my parents would think now.

**Alden Bart's POV**

The girl, Jayde Nightrose, looks terrified. I'll look worse, though, if I'm reaped.

Tiberius walks over to the other bowl. He swirls his hand around the bowl before grasping one and pulling it out. He carefully tears the seal and reads out the name.

"Alden Bart."

Why me? Why did they have to send me to my death? I face the music and walk up onto the stage. Tiberius encourages me to shake hands with Jayde. I do, but I sense that she is as terrified as me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your tributes from District 3!" Tiberius booms. But nobody answers. They simply show a sign of respect. They bring their three middle fingers of their right hands to their lips, before holding them high. Then we are sent off the stage, and into a world of pain.


	5. District 4 Reaping

**Auricula Simmons' POV**

I'm swimming through the clear blue waves of District 4. The water feels refreshing against my skin, and it cools me down when I get tired. I'm swimming now just in case it's the last swim I'll have in District 4. But I know it won't be.

Mother Jenas calls me to come inside for breakfast. I never knew my parents. My mother was a teen mother. She died in the 259th Hunger Games, aged 18. My father was depressed, so he dumped my twin brother and I at a religious orphanage and jumped off a cliff. My brother soon died of an unknown disease months later.

I sit down for breakfast next to Zahra, my best friend. We are fed with a hearty breakfast of seafood and bread. It's absolutely delicious.

I tell Zahra about my plans to volunteer. "I totally expected that from you, Auricula!" she tells me. Everybody knows. I've been training for it all my life.

I get dressed into my Reaping outfit when the siren calls. I run to the main square and get registered. I get a spot in the front row, so I'll be seen when I volunteer.

**Eddy Williams' POV**

As I'm happily eating my seafood breakfast, I think about the Reaping and the Hunger Games. Today is my last chance to get in. But do I really want to go?

My mother, Liza, and my father, Broderik, are reading the newspaper together. My 20-year-old brother, John-David, is telling my 14-year-old brothers Matthew and Gary stupid jokes. I smile. I know I would volunteer for them in an instant.

I finish my breakfast and put on my Reaping outfit. I tell Matthew and Gary to do the same. They follow my instructions, and come to me when they're finished.

"Do you think the ladies will like me in this outfit?" Matthew asks. He thinks he's such a ladies man. "Yes, of course they will," I tell him. When Matthew leaves, Gary asks me a question.

"If I am reaped, will you volunteer for me?"

"In the blink of an eye," I tell him. He gives me a huge hug, before running off to get registered early. I do the same. When I get there, they prick my finger and I stand in a row next to my brothers.

**Auricula Simmons' POV**

Our escort, Dixie Rudolphine, appears. She is very made up with blue and green sequins all over her dress. She plays the tacky film and begins the proceedings.

As she pulls a name out of the ladies bowl, I volunteer. "An eager tribute, I see. What is your name?" she asks. I run up onto the stage and tell everybody. "My name is Auricula Simmons." And that seals it. I'm going to the Hunger Games.

**Eddy Williams' POV**

It's time for the boys. Auricula, the girl, seems very enthusiastic about all of this. But it's just a sick form of entertainment.

Dixie pulls out a name from the bowl. She rips it open without haste and reads out the name. "Gary Williams."

"I VOLUNTEER!" I cry out. I would never let Gary compete in the Games. I walk up onto the stage, realising what I've done. There were probably other boys who were going to volunteer. I acted too hastily, and now I've got a "1 in 24" chance of living. Gary and Matthew are crying in the crowd.

"My name is Eddy Williams," I tell the crowd. "Let me guess. That was your brother that you volunteered for?" Dixie asks. I mumble one word. "Yes."

Dixie says something to the crowd, but I can't hear anything but my own heart pounding. Auricula is still grinning her head off. I don't know what she sees in this.

We walk away, pushed into a world of murder, betrayal and sick entertainment.


	6. District 5 Reaping

**Oriel Rayne's POV**

I jump out of bed and look out the window. Although District 5 families are privileged, they still have to work. That's what I witness through the window. The power plants are working at full power, with people keeping the systems in check.

I walk into the kitchen to find my mother and father eating a breakfast of bacon and eggs. It smells delicious, so I dig in straight away. The flavors melt in my mouth and I have to hum in appreciation.

"Good to see you eating! You've been looking thin lately," my mother tells me. My father nods in agreement. I love my parents very much. They would be devastated if I was reaped today.

I hear the siren, so I go and put my plain, pleated dress on. It suits the plain sort of girl that I am. I walk out of the house, waving goodbye to my parents.

As I walk, I feel my troublesome urges resurface. I can't help it. It's in my genes. I pick up a stick and throw it at a cable. It sparks and explodes, sending everyone in a panic. Oops.

I get to the registration table and the usual shenanigans occur. I take my spot amongst the endless rows of children, hoping that the name pulled out of the female bowl is not mine.

**Rhys Ingredo's POV**

I give my mother a huge hug, and I reassure her that I'll be back in a few hours. But oddly, I fear this isn't the case. As I walk out the door, I wish I hadn't made that promise.

After Dad died, I was the only person left in her life. Cancer is a bitch. It comes all of a sudden and doesn't back down. My father was a victim of this.

She had to raise me on her own. Luckily, District 5 is a richer district, meaning we can survive better. It was still a struggle, though. But now I've taken her position, looking after her. If I die, what will happen to her?

I reach the registration table in almost no time at all, and I let them do what they need to do. Then I go and stand with the other boys, who are praying they aren't called.

**Oriel Rayne's POV**

Our escort, who I don't remember the name of, comes onto the stage. The film is played, the escort makes a tearful praise for it, and then the actual reaping comes.

She walks over to the female bowl and pulls one out from the bottom. She carefully opens it and calls out the name.

"Oriel Rayne."

I walk up onto the stage, holding back the tears that want to endlessly flow. I don't want to die! But I know I will!

**Rhys Ingredo's POV**

I feel sorry for the girl, Oriel. She looks horrified and terrified at the same time. But I still can be called for this thing. She pulls out a name that rests on the top of the boys pile in the bowl.

"Rhys Ingredo."

Oh shit. I walk up onto the stage, and shake hands with Oriel. I cannot believe this. My mother is going to die herself if I die. This is a dilemma.

But I have to look on the bright side of it. I'm always depressed here in District 5. I've contemplated suicide many times. I just haven't gotten around to doing it. Maybe the Games will end it for me.


	7. District 6 Reaping

**Samuel Jenkins' POV**

My parents, Penny-Rose and Robby, are beaming at me. They're generally happy people. I think that's where my talkative genes come from.

My brother, Malacolm, comes into the room, sitting down for breakfast. A huge fart noise rips through the house, and I know my fart cushion has worked.

"Do you know how much of a twat you can be, Sam? God," he sighs.

I hear the siren, so I run to the main square. I get my finger pricked, I give them some blood and I go stand in the rows and rows of boys. I hope I don't get reaped.

**Kat Powers' POV**

As I walk to the registration table, I think about a few things. I think about my father, working non-stop, as he drives trains. I think of my mother, making handcrafted quilts in her spare time. I think of my sister, Garlin, and her son (my nephew), Cillian. I think about my glamorous dress, that my mother made for me.

And I think about getting reaped.

I have a really bad feeling in my gut. It's telling me that the name that is drawn from the ladies bowl will be mine. And I desperately hope it isn't.

I get registered and I line up, waiting for the Reaping to commence.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jonothan Crepe, our escort, begins to talk. He plays the horribly tacky film, and then goes over to the ladies bowl. He accidently picks up two names. I pray that neither is mine. He drops one and reads the other.

"Kat Powers."

Oh god. I'm going to the Hunger Games. I walk up onto the stage and try to smile at the crowd.

**Samuel Jenkins' POV**

I know Kat. She's a charmer at school. But it'll all disappear. She knows she can't win. It's just a matter of time before it happens.

Jonothan Crepe pulls out a name from the boys bowl. He tears it opens.

"Samuel Jenkins."

It's me. I'm going with Kat to be sent to a horrible death. As I walk up onto the stage, I feel like I'm going to vomit. My terrible fear of blood is coming on. I force the Bloodbath out of my mind. I can't demoralize myself. Not now.


	8. District 7 Reaping

**Jak Brentlee's POV**

I'm throwing my axe at the wall, again and again. It's the only thing I'm good at. It's what I've been doing since I've been able to walk, so that probably helps.

My father owns a lumber mill. We get good money from it, so we're one of the lucky families compared to the rest of District 7.

My mother died in childbirth, so I never knew her. If I am reaped today, I know that I'll fight for her. I have to win, because she will have died for nothing if I lose.

My father calls me inside and tells me to put my Reaping outfit on. It's a dark brown suit that fits me perfectly. I admire myself in the mirror, before my father calls for breakfast.

I have some oats and some apple juice, which fills me up. I go outside and throw my axe some more. I feel good every time I hear the _thud _of the axe crunching into the wood. Suddenly, the siren rings out, and I'm off in a flash.

As I make my way to the main square, I analyse the poorer people trying to survive. The ones with no food, the ones with no homes. It's a really sad thing to witness.

I get registered like the other boys do, and I go and line up with them, waiting anxiously for the proceedings to commence.

**Juliet Ann Knightly's POV**

I stand outside, watching District 7 go about their usual lives. Here at the Mayor's mansion, you can see everything, from the young men swinging axes into trees, to people going to the market to pick up some groceries.

My father, John, is the Mayor of District 7. So I'm quite a privileged girl. I get a lot of things others don't. But I'm not arrogant about it. I actually sneak some of it into town and I distribute it to the not so fortunate.

Although you think I'm close to my father, you're wrong. When I turned twelve, I became quite shy, so my father began to push me away. He cares about my older brothers, Henry and James.

But I love Henry and James. As they are both ineligible for the Hunger Games anymore, they have trained me hard incase I'm reaped. Along with the immense speed and hearing capabilities I was born with, I am quite good at hand-to-hand combat and wielding axes. They also pass on the support of my father, but that's not something I care about.

Although I am trained for the Games, I still wouldn't want to hurt anybody. It's not my style. I would try to reason with them. But I know this behavior would be irrational in the arena.

My big weakness is my blood cells and blood sugar. I have a lack of white blood cells, so any would I get could get easily infected. My low blood sugar requires me to eat a lot to make sure I don't get tired and go into shock.

My father calls me in for breakfast. I eat all the stuff that doesn't include meat. Because of my vegetarianism, meat is a no-no. That's something I would have to adapt to in the arena.

Suddenly, I hear the Reaping siren. I say goodbye to my brothers, but not my father. I doubt he would care if I was reaped or not. I walk out the door and make my way to the registration table. When I get there, they take some blood, and I line up with the other girls.

Our escort, Jane Kilworthy, materializes on the stage. She welcomes us to the Reaping and plays the horrid film that is compulsory to watch. After it has finished, he strolls over to the bowl filled with girls' names. He swirls his hand around in the bowl, and pulls a name to the surface. He tears the seal with the most careful touch, and reads the name.

"Juliet Ann Knightly."

I can deal with this. It's what my brothers have trained me for. I know they'll support me if they can. I walk up onto the stage and shake Jane's hand. Now it's time for the boys.

**Jak Brentlee's POV**

Juliet seems calm as she walks up onto the stage. I cannot believe that the Mayor's daughter is going into the Games.

Jane walks over to the boys bowl and sticks her hand in. She pulls it out a moment later, revealing a name in her hand. I wait for the name to be called.

"Jak Brentlee."

I knew it was coming. And there was no way of avoiding it. I know that I'm screwed. I saw the District 1 Reaping and that Theo boy scared the crap out of me. I hope it's not him that ends me.

I walk up onto the stage and uneasily smile at everybody. Then I shake hands with Juliet and Jane and get whisked off to my deathbed.


	9. District 8 Reaping

**Bennett Rochard's POV**

I wake up, looking at the smog of District 8 drifting through the market in the morning. I get off my cardboard bed and stand up. Being homeless in District 8 is hard.

My parents died in a factory accident three years ago. A uniform got caught in some machinery and their department was turned into a ball of flame. I still get teary thinking about them.

I slip on my Reaping uniform that I stole from a factory and walk through the streets. The big smoke towers loom in the sky. I feel like they're going to topple down on me, but I know that they're built from steel-reinforced concrete.

As I mentioned before, the smog is unbearable. Every bloody factory produces it and I'm convinced that it makes up fifty percent of what this district breathes in.

I walk to the market and check out the change I have. Two dollars. I can buy a grain bar with that. That should be sufficient. I walk over to the grain bar store and hand over my two dollars. The old woman grabs two bars and hands them to me. "Don't worry about it," she says.

As I walk away, I hear the siren that I've been dreading. I quickly eat my grain bars and run to the main square. I get registered, as usual, and I go and stand in a row of boys.

**Terrilyn Frazier's POV**

My orphanage is a special one. Here, they train you for the Hunger Games.

I know that I would never win, as the Careers would kill me, but I would go down fighting. And that's what I've been taught to do.

I finish my sparring practice before picking up some throwing knives and grasping one in my hand. I aim between the eyes of the dummy and chuck it with force. It whistles through the air and buries its blade deep into the dummy's forehead.

I see Jith Rowan decapitating dummies, and I blush. I have the biggest crush on him. I know that the only way he would notice me was if I went into the Games. But I have no confidence in myself. I would die straight away.

The Reaping siren interrupts my thoughts. The children in the orphanage make their way to the main square, like a flock of sheep. We all get registered, and we stand in endless rows.

Our escort, Lox Payne, walks onto the stage and gives a cheesy smile to the children. He plays the propaganda film and acts as if it's the best thing he's ever watched. And then he walks over to the girls bowl.

He quickly yanks a name out of the bowl and reads it to Panem.

"Terrilyn Frazier."

At least Jith will notice me now.

**Bennett Rochard's POV**

The girl, Terrilyn, walks up to the stage very slowly. I feel sorry for her. She doesn't deserve to die like this. But I put all this aside and listen to the name of the male tribute from District 8.

"Bennett Rochard."

Well, it's better than being homeless. I think the Games will be good for me. If I die, I don't come back to being a homeless person. If I win, I get bathed in riches. Win win for me.


	10. District 9 Reaping

**Maliara Rocht's POV**

Ah. I could watch him all day. Alden Bart from District 3. I know it's weird that I'm crushing on a twelve year-old, but he's _so dreamy_. I'm definitely watching him in the Games.

Someone clicks his fingers, and I snap out of my dream world. It's James. He pushes me onto my bed and orders me to get dressed. He throws a loaf of bread into my face and tells me it's breakfast.

My reaping outfit is really beautiful. It's handcrafted with a pale yellow fabric and some bright golden thread. It reflects the grain industry in our district.

I slip it on and walk into the lounge area of our small home. My father is nowhere to be seen. Ever since my mother died while giving birth to me, he's never been the same. I think it's why he rejects me so much.

All I have is James. He's pushy at times, but overall he's a goofy, friendly person. I don't know what life would be like without him. Horrible, I imagine.

James walks over to me and whispers in my ear. "Where's your sweet little Alden?" Damn. He found out a few days ago and he's abusing me with it. I really feel lie punching him in the face right now. But I restrain myself. That's what I'm good at. Displaying false innocence.

I go to the backyard of our house. It's where I feel comfortable. I have my weights and my rocks to practice with. I pick up the 5-kilogram weight and begin to lift it. I feel great as my muscles flex with every lift. It's what I'm good at.

After a grueling ten minutes of lifting, I drop the weight and pick up a rock. It feels about 4.5 kilograms, so I prepare myself for it. My target is positioned ten metres away. I throw it with force, and it smashes into the center of the target.

I hear it in an instant. The Reaping siren. I take one last throw of a rock and hit the target perfectly again. I wave goodbye to my possessions, as there is a small chance that I'll never see them again.

I give my brother a huge hug, and I tell him I'll be fine. I feel a tear drop onto my shoulder, and I squeeze him very tight. Then I walk out the door, unsure if I'll ever see this place again.

**Vex Haynes' POV**

I tell Noelle and Lucy to punch me in the stomach. They do, and I don't feel a thing. All the endless hours of work in the fields have given me a well-built body that can withstand a lot.

"How do you do that, Vex?" Noelle asks. I simply smile and give her a wink. She makes a confused face and walks off. Lucy does the same. Gotta love little sisters. Skylar calls out to the girls, but I still go. I need to talk to her.

When I walk into the kitchen, the girls are eating. Skylar is frying something up, but I'm unsure what it is. I walk over to her and give her a hug.

Our parents died in a grain fire. A flame let loose and the dry crops were turned to ash. Our parents were in that field and they didn't know what hit them. The hospital tried to heal their burns, but it was too much. That was two years ago.

Ever since then, Skylar has been there for us. She has turned into our mother. She cooks, cleans, washes, feeds and generally cares for us. I don't know where we would be without her.

"What's up, Vex?" she inquires. I give her a smile and another huge hug. "I have a bad feeling that I'll be reaped today."

Skylar looks at me sympathetically and tries to smile. "Vex, if you are reaped, I know you can win it. You're the sort of person that could make it through."

I thank her for her words of encouragement and sit down to eat the mysterious fried thing. It turns out to be something called French toast. It's sweet yet slightly savory at the same time. Yummy.

I go into my room to get dressed. The outfit that has been laid out for me is amazing. The shirt and pants are designed with intricate little patterns made of thread. I wonder how Skylar got her hands on this.

The siren calls out to the District 9 children. I quickly slip on the outfit and say a few goodbyes. First to Noelle and Lucy, and then to Skylar. As I leave, I see the teardrops begin to flow from Skylar's eyes.

**Maliara Rocht's POV**

I see our escort, Ronald Dimple, pull out a name from the girls bowl. "District 9's female tribute is…" I feel it coming. He'll say my name. I'm sure of it.

"Maliara Rocht."

I knew it was coming. It always was. I walk up onto the stage solemnly. I shake hands with Ronald and look out at the other girls. I can see the relief in their faces. Unfortunately, I can't share that with them.

**Vex Haynes' POV**

Maliara seems emotionless. I guess she's putting herself in the right frame of mind for this thing. Ronald walks over to the other bowl and snatches a name from the top.

"Vex Haynes."

The world seems to slow down as I feel myself leaving District 9 behind. I slowly walk up onto the stage. I have horrid visions. Visions of my family crying for me. Visions of them being tortured. I force it out of my mind.

Then Maliara and I are taken away, never to see it again.


	11. District 10 Reaping

**Ash Castello's POV**

The gentle lowing of the cows in the morning is a nice wake-up call. Except I don't need that. Because I'm out there with them.

Girls at school usually mob me. It's quite frustrating. Except for this one girl called Raven Blade. We always butt heads and have fights in one way or another. I think she does it to piss me off.

That's why I love being in the cattle fields. None of the girls, none of the popularity, just somewhere that I can get away from it all. And that's how I like it.

But I'm cruelly torn away from this when my brother Rohan comes up to me. He punches me in the shoulder and I spin around, lashing out with a kick. He blocks it with ease.

"Nice work, brother. If you go into the Games, your hand-to-hand combat will get you places," he tells me. Rohan was reaped four years ago, when he was 16. With his quick thinking and amazing reactions, he simply outlasted the other tributes. He still has a scar down his arm, though, where a career slashed him.

We walk inside, while Rohan lectures me on advanced hand-to-hand moves. The flying crescent kick is lethal. Rohan seems to perform it with no problems.

When we walk into our house in the Victors Village, my parents are sitting at the dining table. My father, Luke, gives Rohan a huge hug, while I don't get the same treatment. I guess your parents love you more if you are the victor of the Hunger Games.

My mother, Jennifer, doesn't share that with my father. She loves us both equally, so I'm usually on her side when a family problem comes up. But they rarely do. We're a well-oiled family. I get a nice, affectionate hug from her, before I go to put my reaping outfit on.

It's a simple tartan shirt with a nice pair of slim fitting denim jeans. When I put them on, I realize just how much they suit me.

District 10 hears the siren. I give my parents a goodbye hug and kiss, before walking over to Rohan. He smiles at me. "Ash, if you're reaped, I know you can beat the other tributes. You're prepared for it. I believe in you."

I give him a hug and walk out the door. I look back at the house and wonder if I'll come home.

**Raven Blade's POV**

"Now, Raven. A career is coming up behind you. You know he's there. What do you do?" Uncle Jax asks. "I lash out behind me and take him by surprise," I reply. Uncle Jax nods and gives me a thumbs-up of approval.

My Uncle Jax is a great trainer. Ever since I've been eligible for the Hunger Games, he's been training me. Whether we're fighting each other with rubber weapons, or determining which plants are edible, he knows his stuff.

Uncle Jax was the victor of the 238th Hunger Games. He learned all his skills at my age. He tells me that everything I do with him helped him in the arena 37 years ago. I know that it's true.

I am not a girl. Quite honestly, I'd like to be a boy. Every child in District 10 knows that. I'm well known for my temper problems. Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of my tantrums, because that person usually ends up hurt.

There's this one guy, though, who is always trying to piss me off. His name is Ash Castello, and he's usually the one receiving the damage. But for some reason, I just can't do it to him. Something in my brain restrains me. I really hope he's reaped this year.

Uncle Jax tells me to get dressed. I wear a simple dress that doesn't catch eyes. I have a feeling though that I'll still be gawked at, though.

District 10's reaping siren rings out. I look at Uncle Jax and nod. "You've got this Raven. If you're reaped, you can handle the Games. I can see you winning," he tells me. I walk out the door and set off, leaving Uncle Jax alone forever.

The usual registration takes place, before they usher us into rows. I spot Ash very close to me, standing in the rows of boys. That's when Harvick Renault comes onto the stage.

He pulls a name out of the girls bowl. With the utmost delicacy, he opens the seal to reveal the name to himself.

"Raven Blade."

I walk onto the stage, calmly and carefully, already formulating plans to use in the arena. The fact that it's a replica of the Capitol trips me up.

**Ash Castello's POV**

I almost smile as Raven walks onto the stage, but I don't. It would be cruel.

Harvick walks over to the boys bowl and swishes his hand around inside it. He pulls out a name and tears it open without haste.

"Ash Castello."

Two thoughts enter my head. One is that I'm going to the Games. I can handle that. The second is that Raven is my district partner. As I walk up onto the stage, I really hope she wants to ally with me, or I'm a goner.


	12. District 11 Reaping

**Demetri Norfolk's POV**

The day floods back to me every night. They're tied up. My parents are telling me to run, but I can't. Jackie and Theresa were only seven. The guns are aimed at their heads. They load up. BANG!

I wake up in a cold sweat. Why does it haunt me every night? They didn't even commit the crime. That's why the Capitol is a piece of shit. They do things with haste and don't look into the details. And now my family is dead.

Nobody has kicked me out of my home, so I've stayed here ever since. I'm careful though, as I never know if anybody is going to break in and shoot me dead on the spot. It's happened before. That's the sort of thing that tends to happen here in District 11.

I put on my clothes. They're pretty much all I have. I have food too. That's because I get tesserae. So I'm guessing that I'll have my name in the reaping bowl plenty of times. Shit. But I guess being reaped is an improvement on my life.

The siren rings out through the district, and I leave my humble home, preparing myself for the large probability of my name being pulled out of the reaping bowl.

**Inyx Watch's POV**

I return home from a hard morning of work. I check to see if everything is done. All the necessary care for the woodland area, which is done partially by me, is complete. I enter my small home in the poorer part of District 11.

My mother sits in her wheelchair. I always wish the accident never happened. Some lumberjacks just need to check where they're cutting down their trees.

I prepare her some breakfast, and I think about the Reaping. What will happen to my mother if I'm reaped? Will she be left to die? Probably. That's how things work in District 11.

As I make the porridge that I can with our tesserae, I check myself out in the mirror. My tall, slim body looks almost elegant in the light that shines in through a window.

I bring the porridge to my mother, before sitting down and eating my own. If I am reaped, I won't disappoint my mother. I usually hate doing bad things, as I get in trouble. But in the arena, you can't afford to think like that. You have to kill.

The siren calls to the district. I put my simple clothes on and walk over to my mother. She's also become very weak, so she doesn't talk. I kiss her on the head and tell her that I'll be back. As I walk out the door, I feel I won't.

The shenanigans that happen before the names are picked take place. After what seems like forever, our escort, Ruby Shields pulls the name out of the girls bowl.

"Inyx Watch."

I can handle the Games. But I can't handle the fact that my mother will be left alone.

**Demetri Norfolk's POV**

Poor Inyx. Everybody knows that she has to care for her mother. We all know that, even if Inyx wins, her mother will be dead when she gets home. It's tragic.

"Demetri Norfolk."

I snap into focus as I realize that my name has been pulled out of the reaping bowl. I walk up onto the stage, and I shake hands with Inyx. Then we're taken away, and I know that the Norfolk family will die with me.


	13. District 12 Reaping

**A/N: Finally! The last reaping. Sorry if they weren't very good, because they're boring to write. The rest should be fine. I'm skipping train rides, by the way.**

**Maxine Hunter's POV**

The sheer amount of homeless people in District 12 amazes every visitor that comes here. But we don't usually get any. I'm part of this homeless population, and let me tell you, it's hell.

I sit up from my cardboard box bed. It smells of urine and ash. I look to see the Hob in action, filled with people hurriedly trading things for food and water. I look in my pockets for anything. I find a silver coin-like object. This'll get me something.

As I stand up, I hear the familiar whistles. The perverts really take the shit out of me. They all whisper and eye off my body. "What girl like you is homeless? Come over to my place tonight, sweetie!" one calls out. I glare at him and reply. "Fuck off!"

He just laughs and whispers something to his friends. This really gets on my nerves. I have to look after myself, and this isn't doing it. I see a dagger lying on the ground, and I formulate a plan. I snatch it up and throw it at them. It whistles through the air and clunks into the house behind them. They become timid and run away. Phew.

As I walk to the Hob, I think about what got me here. The train crash. My mother, father and little sister were on a special trip to District 7 while I stayed at a friend's house. The engine overheated and the train was turned into metal shrapnel in seconds. No survivors.

I walk to Old Liza's stall and take a look at her wares. She has a loaf of bread and a canteen of water that she's willing to give me for the coin thing. I give it to her and receive my meal. I instantly bite into the bread, and my hunger disappears.

I go back o my cardboard box and sit down. I'm generally a lazy person, so this is my usual day. And if anyone tries to move me, they'll end up in hospital. Because that's what you get for assaulting a badass.

The Reaping siren calls to the children. I stroll to the main square and get ready for what's about to go down.

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd's POV**

My mother, Penny, is hugging me tightly. She's really worried about the Reaping. I am too. I really don't want to be reaped. But if I am, emotionless and serious is the way to go.

I think about my father and my brother, James. My parents are separated, so I live with my mother and James lives with my father. I wish we were all together right now. But it's not possible.

I try to imagine my plans if I was to be reaped. My public speaking skills would get me sponsors, so I'll be set for that if I go. But that's it. My humorless personality will make me disliked by the other tributes, so I'll be without an ally. Oh well.

My mother tells me to put on my reaping clothes. A shirt and pants that suit my giant hands and feet perfectly. I take what I feel is my last look in this mirror, before I go to the tree in the backyard.

Climbing is not my thing. My huge hands and feet keep me from slipping them into tiny crevices in trees or cliffs. I test on this tree. I barely begin to ascend before I slip down. What's the point?

I hear the Reaping siren. Its sound beats through the district. I walk inside and squeeze my mother tight. "Don't worry, mom. I'll be fine."

I walk out the door and take a last look at my small home.

**Maxine Hunter's POV**

Our escort, Randy Richman, walks over to the girls bowl. I watch his hand dip into the bowl and surfaces with a single slip of paper. He opens it and reveals the name.

"Maxine Hunter."

Whatever. As I walk up, the pervert boys whistle. I stick up my middle finger at them. When I arrive on the stage, I take Randy's microphone. "It's Max," I say.

I wait patiently to see which boy will join me in the arena. I hope it's not one of those bloody perverts.

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd's POV**

Max looks laid back and relaxed about the whole situation. Randy struts over to the boys bowl and scoops a name out of the bowl.

"Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd."

I'm truly terrified, but I don't show it. I can't afford to be scared at this time. I have to show the Capitol who I can be. We are taken off the stage, and the last reaping concludes.


	14. The Arena

Magnolia Winter holds her Touchpad tightly as she leads President Loren Hawksmoor to the Gamemaker's Control Room. Her hair is messy from all the hurried work she's been completing. But it's finally done.

As they stroll into the Control Room, there are people placing final objects into the arena. The first thing the President notices is the whole arena. It's an overgrown version of the Capitol.

"Because having a completely urban environment wouldn't work very well as an arena, we have decided to make it overgrown," Magnolia says. The President nods, satisfied with the idea.

"We have made a few sections of growth as well. Around the Cornucopia is jungle growth that takes up a quarter of the arena. When we go further out, we have a quarter of forest growth, a quarter of desert growth and a quarter of grassland plains." The President nods again.

"We will create some disasters when needed. A thunderstorm in the forest, a tornado in the desert, whatever. But we'll be sure it will spice a boring day up." The President smiles.

"Before you go, though," Magnolia says, "I'd like to show you this year's mutts. We intend to release them in the final eight or so." She pulls up an image on the screen. It appears to be a flaming humanoid. "We've named them Firecrackers. As you can see, they are on fire. We've made them produce it. Whatever they walk on or past, it will become ash. The tributes will receive a more painful death if caught by a Firecracker, though. It makes human flesh melt away from the bone, so you're left with a skeleton. Cool, huh?" The President shows an entertained look, before turning to Magnolia.

"I'd love to stay, but I have business to attend to. Well done, Magnolia!" she says, before hurrying off to her business.


	15. Chariot Rides

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry if your tribute wasn't featured in the chariot rides. I'm aiming to get at least one POV for every tribute while they're all in the Capitol. Thanks.**

**Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

As I lay on my remake bed, I think back to the Reaping. All the perverted boys whistling as I walked onto the stage. Me telling the escort, Randy Richman, that my name is Max, not Maxine. I remember Timmy, my district partner, being very serious and emotionless. I think we don't have anything to lose. But there's nothing he'll be able to offer to the careers, unlike myself.

The prep team, who I don't want to know, are hovering around my body, applying creams and waxing limbs. It's all really annoying and I feel like punching them in the face, but I know I can't. I sit there and endure another two hours of it before I'm ready. That's when they clean up everything and walk away.

I wait for my stylist. After about two minutes, he arrives. He doesn't even talk to me. He simply makes me sit down on a chair and he does my make up. He tells me that my honey blond curls are beautiful the way they are, so he leaves them as they are.

By the time I'm finished, I look extremely attractive. I wonder if the boys are perverts. Because if they are, the last thing they'll see is a dagger in their face.

The final touch is the outfit. It's a black latex suit with lumpy bits on it, symbolizing coal. Where the lumps are absent, a warm orange glow emanates. I look stunning in it. As I'm ushered off to get on the chariot, I wonder what Timmy will look like.

**Rhys Ingredo (MD5)**

Let me tell you, that prep session was hell for me. I can't believe the pain that is required for beauty. I've never understood beauty. Then again, I've never understood many things, one of them being friendship. But I'm glad it's over.

My stylist, Jenna, is putting hair gel in the small amount of hair I have. I look like a murderous beast when she spikes it up. But what makes the outfit is my clothes. Somehow, she's managed to put some sort of electronic device in it. This device makes the black suit I'm in ripple with what looks like electricity, which represents the power production of District 5. I'm really impressed with it.

Jenna claps excitedly at my look. Suddenly, I'm rushed off to the chariot. We walk through corridors filled with people organizing everything there is to be checked. After a few minutes of walking, we arrive at the chariot zone. I glance around and take a look at the other tributes.

District 1 is wearing elaborate diamond-like gem-crusted clothes that glint in the light. District 2 are wearing gladiator-like armor and traditional dress. The District 3 tributes have an intricate wire design covering their bodies. The District 4 tributes are dressed in flowing green and blue robes. After that I struggle to see.

I make out an urban outfit for the Sixes, a wooden one for the Sevens, a mash-up of fabric for the Eights, a golden latex one for the Nines, a cowboy outfit for the Tens, a farmer outfit for the Elevens, and a glowing coal-like latex suit for the Twelves. An interesting mix. Suddenly, I'm loaded onto my chariot, and we begin to ride into the Capitol.

I turn to Oriel. "Are you ready?" She turns to me and grasps my hand. "I'm ready." The chariot begins to rumble out onto the parade.

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11)**

Inyx seems quite excited next to me, and I can see why. As the chariots roll out, you can see the sheer amount of Capitol citizens that have paid to come here. They're all cheering, and it makes me feel warm inside. Inyx and I wave back at them. I finally understand what it means to them. That doesn't make me think it's right, though.

On the train ride, I made an effort to learn the names of the other tributes. The tributes from Ten, Ash and Raven, seem to be lapping it up as much as we are. I guess it's how you get sponsors, though. I look back at Maxine and Timmy from Twelve, and they're trying to get some fans, but it doesn't seem to be working.

I take a moment to comprehend all the weird things that the Capitol citizens have done to themselves. Blue skin here, a few whiskers there, and a general amount of oddity everywhere.

I use my height to check out the other tributes in front of me. As usual, the careers are showing off, flaunting their style. That's when I see the most extravagant thing ever. Oriel and Rhys from Five seem to have bolts of electricity tearing through them. They are holding each other's hands and their fists are emitting sparks. The Capitol roar at this. I think the Fives are the highlight tonight.

We finally slow down to a stop in a big open area with all the other tributes. Although we've all stopped, the cheering is endless. It's so loud that our chariot is vibrating. It extraordinary.

That's when President Hawksmoor walks up to the podium way above us, where all the VIPs sit. I have no doubt about the fact that Magnolia Winter, the head Gamemaker, is sitting up there. President Hawksmoor clears her throat and begins to read the Treaty of Treason. It's a long and boring monologue that everyone must sit through, so I do. I use the time to strategize for the arena. I don't know what to expect from a replica of the Capitol. Will it be overgrown or something? I don't know.

Suddenly, Inyx begins to shake me. I realize why. The chariots have begun to move again. We wave again to the crowds, before the chariot enter a long dark tunnel that leads us to the training center.


	16. Welcome to the Training Center

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3)**

The training center is huge. I can see it spread out, filled with weapon racks, dummies, targets, survival stations, you name it. Anything we need to know before we go into the arena, we can learn here. I can see all the other tributes in their simple training suits. As we walk into the training center, a woman approaches us.

"Hello boys and girls, my name is Rakaia. I am the chief instructor here in the training center and I will be watching you throughout you time here." She slightly turns to the careers. "Now, we have a few rules. Firstly, no fighting with each other. The arena is the place for that. Secondly, do not ignore the survival stations. Don't be fooled by the prospect of a replica of the Capitol being the arena."

This time she turns to the rest of us. "When the Games are finished, twenty-three of you will be dead. The focus and attention you put in here will determine which one of you will be the victor. Now get training!"

I don't know where to start. I scan the room to analyse what's already begun. Maxine from Twelve is hurling knives into targets with the most precise technique. I see Vex from Nine decapitating dummies with a curved blade. Lolita from Two has picked up an axe and has begun to bury it into the chests of some innocent mannequins.

I go to the climbing course, as I want to show off my best skills to the other tributes. It consists of some slanted rope ladders, a few rock walls and some metal bars. I hop onto the first ladder and scurry up it with ease. I do this with the rest of the course. When I take the occasional glance at the other tributes, I see some of them looking up at me, mouths wide open. I decide that this is what the Gamemakers will see in my session with them.

I jump off the end and release a satisfied sigh. Rakaia walks over to me and praises me for my work. "Very impressive, Jayde. You're one of the best climbers I've ever seen." She strolls off to observe everybody else, leaving me to wallow in my own happiness.

**Theo Harpond (MD1)**

I clench the sword in my hand. It feels good when I hold it, so I know immediately that this is the weapon for me. So many tributes will die by my hand, now that I've found the right weapon. The blade is straight and double-edged, narrow at the tip and thick at the base. I approach a mannequin and swing the blade at its neck. It slices through it like butter and the head drops to the floor. It hits the ground with a satisfying thud.

I continue to do this, visualizing different tributes as I go. It keeps me in a good mood, and that's all I want right now. When I'm done, I walk over to the other careers, my allies in the Games. There's myself, Sacred, Lolita, Xander and. Auricula. They're already talking about whom to take out first.

"Hey, guys," I say. They all turn to me and smile. Xander steps forward and pats me on the back. "We were just discussing our first kills," he says. "I reckon we should take out Bennett from Eight." He points to the other side of the Training Center. We see Bennett sparring with a trainer. His hand-to hand skills are amazing. I nod back at Xander. "Totally. Good thinking, man." He smiles at me and walks over to the speed course.

"Any other suggestions?" I ask. Auricula nods and begins to speak. "I've been watching the other tributes, and I've noticed Maxine from Twelve. She's an ace with those knives. I think we should take her in the pack." She nods at the knife station. There are other tributes there, but she stands out. The speed of the knives she's throwing is lethal. But she's also really hot. I'm totally crushing on her. Maybe I'll get a kiss in the arena.

"I'll go get her," I say. I strut over to her and tap her on the shoulder. She whips around and holds a knife in front of her face in defense. 'What do you want, One?" she snarls. I tell her that we want her in the pack. Her scowl turns into a smile. "Alright," she says, and pulls my face to hers. I don't know how it started, but we're sharing a kiss. She's two years older than me! This is awesome! Her lips taste like a mix of berries, and it makes you want to stay for more.

She finally pushes me away, and speaks to me in a flirty voice. "I'll be over there in a couple of minutes, Sweetlips." I walk back over to the careers. They've all got their mouths hanging open. Lolita is the first to speak. "You got laid, my friend!" she exclaims. She pats me on the back and mimics Max. I turn to her and laugh. "Can I get a kiss from you too?" I inquire with little puppy eyes. She tells me that it's a one-off joke and we lock lips. Lolita tastes like a lollipop. It lasts for two seconds and then she punches my arm. Two kisses from two older girls in five minutes! This day couldn't get any better!

**Kat Powers (FD6)**

Oh my god. The careers are really retarded sometimes. Theo from One has just made out with Max from Twelve and gotten a decent smooch with Lolita from Two. And they're both older than him! But they can waste time all they want, so Kat Powers can end them in the arena. I don't care.

I'm currently working at the trap station. I've devised a clever system that hopefully somebody will fall for. A supply of some sort is lain on the ground, connected to a thin wire. When picked up, a clever pulley system deploys a giant rock attached to a rope. It swings into the tribute, killing them if it makes contact with their head. It's quite simple, but effective. And it only took me five minutes to make.

I hear Rakaia calling for lunch. We all walk to the cafeteria area and sit down. Apart from the careers (Theo, Sacred, Lolita, Xander, Auricula and Max), everybody is siting at a random table. It's time to make some alliances.


	17. Alliances over Lunch

**Ash Castello (MD10)**

I hate to admit it, but I must ally with Raven. I know I'm screwed without her. All that training she's done with her Uncle Jax makes her a lethal tribute in these Games. To be on a team with such a person is awesome.

I sit down at her table, facing her. I clear my throat, and she looks up at me. She gives me a weak smile. "Hey, Ash. I think I know why you're here," she says. Before I can talk, she brings up the ally topic. "I've been thinking about it too," she says. "And I want to make it final. Allies?" she asks, and ticks her hand out. I stick mine out and shake hers. "Allies!" I cry triumphantly.

Mission accomplished.

**Maliara Rocht (FD9)**

It's time to make my move.

Alden is sitting across the table, twirling his fork through his food. Now's probably a good time to approach him with my proposition. I drum on the table, and Alden looks up at me. "Hey, Maliara. What's up?" he asks.

I take a while to answer. I'm overwhelmed with the fact that Alden is talking to me. I feel myself blushing. "I…erm…well…" I stammer. "I kind of want to be allies with you." I can't believe I managed to spit out the words. His face lights up, which makes me blush even more.

"I don't know why you'd want to be allies with me, but sure," he says. "I'm ready for anything now." We continue to talk to each other, sharing our interests and hobbies. I'm really happy now. I've landed an alliance with my crush. I think I'll make a move in the arena. Too much kissing today. Stupid careers.

**Oriel Rayne (FD5)**

Rhys and I have been talking. We know that we'll stick together, but we think we need another tribute in our alliance. Rhys points at a tribute. "Samuel from Six is lethal with taekwondo. His kicks could knock somebody unconscious. And he's amazing with shuriken. They cut through the air in seconds. I think we should ally with him." I nod at Rhys. We get up and sit next to Samuel.

"Hey Sam," I say. "We were wondering if you'd like to ally with us. We've seen what you're capable of, and we believe our skills could compliment yours. Are you in?" He lifts his head and looks at me, his face revealing that he wants something. "Sure. But only if Kat can come with us," he says. I glance next to him to see his district partner looking at me as well.

"Sure. The more the merrier!" I say, and we all shake hands. I'm so relieved that I have some friends in the arena. If I went solo, I'd be screwed. Thank god for alliances.

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7)**

Terrilyn and I have become good friends. We've practically trained together since we got here. She's really experienced with throwing knives and hand-to-hand combat, so she's been teaching me some tips and tricks that she's picked up over the years. I've taught her how to run really fast without exhausting yourself too much. We compliment each other perfectly.

"Hey Jules," she says while we're at lunch. "I think we need one more person in our alliance." I grunt in approval and nod my head, because I have a mouth full of food. I swallow it and point to Jayde.

"I've been watching Jayde from Three and she's and climbing expert. She has the female record on the climbing course. We should totally take her." Terrilyn's face shows approval of my suggestion. I walk over to Jayde and tap her on the shoulder.

"Hey Jayde, we were wondering if you'd like to be in an alliance with Terrilyn and I?" I ask. Jayde looks suspicious. "Why would you want me in your alliance? To kill me?" I shake my head and tell her what we really think. "Your climbing skills are extraordinary. If you could teach us some climbing techniques, we'd show you some of our tricks," I say.

She shakes my hand and we agree. I look back at Terrilyn and give her the thumbs-up. She does a girly little clap, and goes back to her food. Our team will strike from nowhere.

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12)**

I can't believe tributes want me on their team. But it's happened. Eddy from Four and Vex from Nine have asked me to become a part of their alliance.

"We've seen your proficiency with almost any weapon, and we'd love somebody like that on our team," says Eddy. "And we think your public speaking skills would get us all some sponsors." I'm puzzled. How do they know about that? Oh, I remember now. I told Rakaia, and they must have been listening.

I think about their request. I would be dead on the first day, perhaps even in the bloodbath, if I'm alone. I know that with these guys, I have a much larger chance of going back to District Twelve. "I'm in!" I exclaim. I won't die first now. This is great news.

**Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

I don't see the point in alliances. Anybody could backstab me in an instant. Going alone is a much better option. You only have yourself to look after.

Everybody seems to be in an alliance except for myself, Jak from Seven and both from Eleven. But they could potentially be a district team. You never know.

They call for training to resume, and I continue to use my hand-to-hand combat sparring partner. I land a few nasty blows on him. My two fists are my weapons in these Games.

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Go to my profile to vote for your favorite alliance. Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. I think training gets repetitive, so I'll be writing the interviews next.**


	18. The First Interviews

**A/N: I realised I skipped gamemaker scores, so I'll post them with what skills were shown after the interviews. Is anybody an artist on here? If you are, please PM me and i'll give you the details of my tributes so you could perhaps draw them in a grid and I could erase them when they died?****  
**

Caesar Flickerman the VIII spins around in his chair and flashes his charming smile to the Capitol. Seven generations on, and the family have not lost the charismatic spark.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman!" he booms. "I, Caesar Flickerman the VIII, will be interviewing the twenty-four tributes competing in the 275th Annual Hunger Games!" The crowd roars. The Hunger Games is almost a holiday for them. A religion.

"But without further ado, let's welcome on our first tribute!" he cries. "From District One, fifteen years of age, could you please welcome Theo Harpond!"

**Theo Harpond (MD1)**

I feel refreshed and energized as I walk onto the stage. The crowd is cheering for me, and I thank them for that by posing as I walk. I hear a few whistles from the crowd. I take my seat next to Caesar. My crisp white suit shines like a beacon. The crowd dies down.

"Welcome Theo! How are you doing tonight?" he asks me. I reply simply and quickly. "I'm great, thanks." He tells me that he has some questions to ask me, and I tell him I'm fine with it.

"Now, Theo. How are you finding the Capitol?" Caesar asks.

"I'm loving it here. The sights and the sounds are mesmerizing. Of course, I only experience that after training." That's the truth.

Caesar gives me a small grin. "Relating to training, what happened with those girls on the first day?"

I give him a laugh. "With Lolita, it was just a joke. With Max, well, you'll have to ask her. But let me tell you, Caesar, it was the most awesome thing ever! Two older girls in five minutes! And if anybody in the crowd tonight wants a kiss, I'll be glad to give it to them!" The crowd screams for me. It's exhilarating.

"Well Theo, I just have one last question for you," Caesar says. "What strategy will you use in the arena?"

"Well, I've got the careers with me, for starters," I say. "But once they're gone, I'll begin to hunt the others down. No point in prolonging time. You guys want action, right?" The crowd all yell "YES!" in unison.

Caesar laughs. "Thank you for joining us this evening." We stand up. "Everybody, Theo Harpond!" I jump up and down, doing some fancy hand-to-hand moves as I walk off the stage. I'm proud of what I've shown everyone. Now it's time to put it into action.

**Sacred Franco (FD1)**

"I love the attire tonight, Sacred!" Caesar exclaims. I love it too. A lovely deep red dress that compliments my fiery red hair perfectly. "I have my stylist to thank for it," I say.

"So, Sacred, I see that you volunteered, even though you weren't chosen for it. Why is that?"

"Caesar, it came down to sisterly rivalry," I say. "It was the last year that my sister, Nion, was eligible for the Games, and I was sick of being in her shadow all the time. So I volunteered in an act of retaliation." Caesar looks at me. "What does your district think of that?" he asks. I let out a little giggle. "I'm pretty sure they're pissed off right now!"

The crowd cheers. Caesar motions for them to settle down slightly. He turns to me and asks me one last question. "Sacred, we know you are determined to win this thing. But will you turn on your allies if it means winning the Games?" I'm stumped. I'm not sure if I would. But I know the answer that the crowd will absorb like a sponge. "Caesar," I say. "Of course I would. I want to win this thing. Theo could be dead in an instant if it meant I became the victor!"

The crowd lets out all their excitement in a ginormous roar. "Ladies and gentleman, Sacred Franco!" Caesar booms. I walk off the stage, blowing kisses to all the boys out there, waiting to hook up. I'll get to them after the other twenty-three tributes are dead, though.

**Xander Quinn (MD2)**

"From District Two, please welcome Xander Quinn!"

I walk onto the stage, flashing the Capitol plenty of smiles. My glittery blue suit glints in the light that shines onto my face. I take a seat and shake hands with Caesar.

"Xander, you seemed quite afraid at the Reaping. How do you feel now?" he asks me.

"I've grown to the whole situation," I say. "I did it initially to impress my parents, but now I'm quite into it. And I'm ready to go!" The Capitol loves my words and they give me the appreciation I deserve.

"I see you have a slight weakness. If you were to lose your glasses, you'd be stuffed. What are you thoughts about that?"

I reply. "Well, it's a bummer," I say. That's when I reveal my secret. "But the nicest people in the world, here in the Capitol, have offered to give me eye surgery, so I no longer need my glasses!" The crowd roars, and Caesar pats me on the back. "Well, that's great for you!" he cries.

The crowd dies down and Caesar becomes slightly serious. "Xander, do you have anything to say to the other tributes?"

"They'd better watch out, because the end of your life will be delivered from me. Quote a fellow district male from 201 years ago, 'I'm vicious and I'm ready to go!'" The crowd goes wild, and I leave the stage as Caesar thanks me for coming.

That went without a hitch.

**Lolita Verona (FD2)**

"Lolita, welcome! You're looking stunning tonight!" Caesar is right. My tight pink latex dress squeezes me, and I imagine that plenty of people are staring at my chest. I can't blame them, though.

"Firstly, what was the reaction of your family when you volunteered. I know you were chosen this year, but why not let one of the other nominees compete?" Caesar asks.

"They were fine about it. The only person I was slightly worried about was my little sister Esmerelda. She's think I'm going to die. But sis, if you're watching, I'm coming home!" The Capitol's cheering thunders through the room.

"Lolita, I know that the kiss with Theo was a joke initially, but did it turn into something more for you?" Caesar's questions are amazing. "I'm not sure myself!" I exclaim. The Capitol loves every word.

"Now Lolita, before you go, I want to ask you one last thing. Will you give anybody any mercy in the arena?" This question hits me. "No!" I reply. Caesar thanks me as I stroll off the stage. I hope I see this place again.


	19. The Penultimate Interviews

**A/n: These will be quite short because I want to get the Games started.**

**Alden Bart (MD3)**

My interview is very average. I don't say much because I'm not the talking type. The only remotely interesting topic that comes up is Maliara. 'I'm sure you're aware she likes you, Alden, but do you feel the same way?"

"It's a bit weird, I know, but I do," I reply. "I've grown to her. She a genuinely nice girl inside that many people would love to know well, and I'm one of those people."

"I'm sure you are. Good luck to you!" I walk off the stage and go to my apartment with Jayde. The Games start tomorrow. I need to sleep.

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3)**

My interview goes well.

I get asked a few questions. I reply in ways that I think the Capitol will enjoy, and it runs smoothly. That's until I get to the last question.

"So, Jayde," Caesar says to me. "In training, we watched as Juliet and Terrilyn approached you about an alliance. Now you are a team. But would you ever turn on your team, if it meant saving your life?"

This question makes me feel slightly dizzy and nauseous. I feel like vomiting, but I restrain myself and slowly answer the question.

"No. I'd rather die protecting my friends than die being a chicken!" That is that. My interview ends and I walk off the stage.

**Auricula Simmons (FD4)**

My interview is awesome.

I get asked some questions about my personal life, which is fun, but the real fun part comes from me. "Caesar, are you able to swim?" I ask. He shakes his head.

I tell the Capitol to get up and follow my actions. Pretty soon, they understand how to swim every stroke. I take a bow and leave the stage.

**Samuel Jenkins (MD6)**

Rhys and Oriel have uneventful interviews, before I walk onto the stage.

"Samuel, I hear you have a nasty weakness. Can you tell us what it is?"

I have to reply honestly. "It's true, I do have a weakness. If I see blood, I will go into shock and vomit. It's not something that the arena will lack."

Caesar's questions go on, but the final one is the most exciting. "What do you think about the Games?"

"Killing other kids is absolutely sick. I'm really repulsed by it. The Capitol has proven enough. Why do this?" I storm off the stage. What a controversial finish.

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7)**

How's your relationship with your father?" Caesar asks me.

"Well, not that great," I say. "I was pushed away at the age of twelve, and I've only had my brother, James, there for me in times of need."

"What do you think he's doing now?"

"He'd better be watching," I threaten. "I want to say that I love him and if I die, remember me."

"I know we will," says Caesar and holds up my hand. "JULIET ANN KNIGHTLY!"


	20. The Final Interviews

**A/N: I'm sorry this is extremely short. I'm ready for the Games now, though!**

**Vex Haynes (MD9)**

"Vex, I hear that you're surrounded by sisters back in District Nine. Is this true?" Caesar asks.

"It is," I reply. "My parents died in a grain fire, so my older sister, Skylar, has sacrificed everything for my little sisters and I."

"I'm guessing they're devastated," Caesar says gloomily.

"They know I can win. Look at me, Caesar. Am I your average thirteen year-old?" I ask. He laughs and shakes his head.

"No. You're amazing, and we can't wait to see you in action. Vex Haynes!"

**Raven Blade (FD10)**

"Raven, I hear that you and Ash have been rivals since you were born back in District 10. Is that going to affect you in the Games?"

I laugh. "Caesar," I say. "It's helped us get to know each other, so we are probably better allies than enemies!" The Capitol goes wild. "That is true, Raven. Good luck!"

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12)**

"Very nice to meet you, Caesar!" I say as I sit down in the chair. Caesar smiles and says the same to me.

"Caesar, before we begin," I say. "I want you to tell me if you like my black suit." He laughs and replies. "Of course I do! It looks just like mine!" The Capitol laughs. I feel the sponsors already.

"Now, Timmy, I want to know what's waiting for you at home. Can you tell me?"

"In my immediate household, there is my mother," I say. "But my brother and father live in a different house. So, I have to get all the tesserae, therefore resulting in my name being in the bowl plenty of times."

"That's very sad, Timmy," Caesar says. "But we love you here in the Capitol. Come back soon!" I wave to the crowd as I leave the stage. Tomorrow, the Games begin. I have to be ready.


	21. Training Scores

**DISTRICT 1:**

**M: **Theo Harpond – 10 (One-on-one sword skills)

**F: **Sacred Franco – 9 (Hand-to-hand combat)

**DISTRICT 2:**

**M: **Xander Quinn – 9 (Crossbow and sword skills)

**F: **Lolita Verona – 9 (Axe skills)

**DISTRICT 3:**

**M: **Alden Bart – 5 (Intelligence and agility)

**F: **Jayde Nightrose – 9 (Climbing skills)

**DISTRICT 4:**

**M: **Eddy Williams – 8 (Trident and swimming)

**F: **Auricula Simmons – 9 (Trident and swimming)

**DISTRICT 5:**

**M: **Rhys Ingredo – 8 (Spear)

**F: **Oriel Rayne – 7 (Variety of weapons)

**DISTRICT 6:**

**M: **Samuel Jenkins – 8 (Traps, taekwondo and shuriken)

**F: **Kat Powers – 6 (Agility)

**DISTRICT 7:**

**M: **Jak Brentlee – 7 (Axe)

**F: **Juliet Ann Knightly – 6 (Agility and intelligence)

**DISTRICT 8:**

**M: **Bennett Rochard – 10 (Hand-to-hand combat)

**F: **Terrilyn Frazier – 7 (Knives and hand-to-hand combat)

**DISTRICT 9:**

**M: **Vex Haynes – 11 (Scythe and blades)

**F: **Maliara Rocht – 7 (Weighted object throwing)

**DISTRICT 10:**

**M: **Ash Castello – 7 (Survival skills)

**F: **Raven Blade – 7 (Survival skills)

**DISTRICT 11:**

**M: **Demetri Norfolk – 3 (Agility)

**F: **Inyx Watch – 6 (Axe and hatchet)

**DISTRICT 12:**

**M: **Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd – 9 (Variety of weapons)

**F: **Maxine Hunter – 10 (Throwing knives)


	22. Let the Games Begin!

**Rhys Ingredo (MD5)**

"You can do this, Rhys," Jenna tells me. "I believe in you." She kisses me on the forehead and the tube opens. I step into the tube and hold back the tears. I see her begin to cry as I ascend into the arena. As the Quarter Quell twist makes the arena a replica of the Capitol, I don't know what I'm going to see.

I wonder if my clothes will give away any clues. I'm wearing a simple waterproof jacket and some tracksuit pants. I have a t-shirt underneath my jacket, followed by a singlet. Confusing.

The tube ride seems extra long, and when I see the arena, I instantly know why. We're on a building.

I knew they couldn't have an urban environment. It's overgrown, but it's still obviously the Capitol. I see a ring of jungle surrounding the Cornucopia building, and I glimpse thirds of desert, grassland and forest. Quite a few environments to choose from. I doubt many people will stay in the jungle.

The Cornucopia is sitting in the center of the rooftop, its gold surface glinting in the sunlight. The bounties are spread around, regardless of value. Behind every plate there is a high-tech glider with controls on it. I spy a hatch on every corner of the building, as another means of escape. I see Timmy from Twelve on my right and Jayde from Three on my left.

_Ten._

I'm ready to run.

_Nine._

I see Oriel.

_Eight._

I see Samuel.

_Seven._

I spot Kat two plates to my left.

_Six._

A spear rests very close to me.

_Five._

I angle my body towards it.

_Four._

My heart is racing.

_Three._

My alliance nods to where Oriel is.

_Two._

That's where I'll go after I get the spear.

_One._

Here we go.

_RIIIIING!_

The gong sounds and the 275th Hunger Games have begun.

**Jak Brentlee (MD7)**

I run towards the axe, reflecting light into my eyes. That's when I spot Lolita from Two getting there first. She swings it around her defensively, so I back away. I sprint to my glider instead.

But it's too late.

Bennett is already on top of me. I feel the air being knocked out of me as he punches me in the stomach. He bashes his fist on my ribs, and I hear a few crack under the sheer force of his hand.

Finally, Bennett grabs my head and smashes it against the concrete. My skull cracks and the blood pools around my head. With every smash, the world grows rapidly darker. I think of my father in my last thought, before the world swirls around and disappears forever.

**Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

I let go of Jak's lifeless body on the ground. His head lies in a grisly pool of blood. It's not pleasant to look at, but it pleases me that I've taken what I believe is the first kill in the Games.

I run towards my glider, but I don't get there. I feel the sword tear through my abdomen. It gets yanked out again and I spin around to face Theo, my killer.

He kicks me over and I clutch my wound. The blood is quickly spreading across my t-shirt. Theo drags me to the edge of the building and throws me off.

I feel the world rushing past me as I fall to my death. The world seems to go into slow motion. I see Theo looking over the edge, smiling. I see the vast arena, spreading out around me.

I'll never know if the wound or the impact killed me.

**Inyx Watch (FD11)**

I hear the unmistakable sickening crunch of Bennett's body as it hits the ground. I don't take the risk of running into the Cornucopia, as I'm sure it would mean death. I reach my glider and launch myself from the building.

The controls allow me to rotate and tilt the wing, so I aim in a downward drop. It's all going well.

That's when it hits me.

The knife rips through my throat and blood sprays everywhere. In the seconds before I die, I glance down at the blade. The name 'Max' is engraved in the metal. More blood gets carried away in the air and the world melts into darkness.

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11)**

Max has already put a knife in Inyx's throat. I can't believe it. My district partner's already dead. I sprint into the Cornucopia and snatch up a scythe. I realize that this is a bad idea, as this is Vex's main weapon. The last thing is see is a spear hurtling towards my face.

**Ash Castello (MD10)**

Four are already dead. Raven runs into the Cornucopia for a few supplies, and I guard the gliders. She comes back with two backpack and two knives. She chucks one of each to me and we set off.

The glider soars through the air as we make our way out. As we fly over, I begin to see just how big the arena is. It stretches out for miles, but I guess it's because it's the Capitol.

I hear something whistling through the air and I duck. The knife narrowly misses the back of my head. Unfortunately, Raven's not so lucky. The knife tears through the fabric of her glider. She goes into a spinout, and struggles to gain control.

Then she drops.

I see her plummet into a towering leafy frond. I hear her grunt as she makes initial contact, but other than that, she seems to be fine. I take a deep breath and let go of the glider.

The falling sensation is one I'll never forget. The world rushes past you as you drop, and the wind in your face makes you feel like you're flying.

I feel the wind get knocked out of me as I hit the first frond, but the rest of it is fine. As I descend through the leaves, my speed lowers, until I finally drop onto the ground at the bottom.

Raven's still lying there, reeling from the shock. I roll over to her and give her a hug. "We're still alive, Raven!" I whisper in her ear. She punches me in the arm. "I know, idiot," she says.

**Kat Powers (FD6)**

Oriel, Sam and Rhys all run to get something from the Cornucopia. I avoid that option and go to the glider point, taking mine with me. I see Rhys with a spear, Oriel with a machete and Sam with some shuriken. They all seemed to get what they wanted.

That's when they cry out. But not for themselves.

It all happens so quickly. I feel the axe jolt into my back, right into my heart. I roll over in the last few moments of my life, and look up at my killer. Lolita from Two.

I feel myself drifting away, never to return.

**A/N: Sorry about the size, bit short. Hope you enjoyed. The Games have begun!**

**Deaths:**

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2) **_Placed 20th_

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8) **_Placed 24th_

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1) **_Placed __23rd _

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9) **_Placed 21st_

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)** _Placed __22nd_


	23. 45 Minutes and 23 Seconds

**Xander Quinn (MD2)**

We've managed to rid the Cornucopia of the others. Sacred, Auricula and I are the only careers without kills. The other tributes have seemed to have fled or died. That's when I hear the cannons.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

Five tributes have died. Jak, Bennett, Inyx, Demetri and Kat. That means that the Tens didn't die from their fall. Damn! Taking out those guys would have made the Games so much easier.

We sift through the supplies, taking backpacks crammed with food and water, and weapons of our choice. Theo has his sword, Lolita has her axe, Max has her knives and Sacred picks up a knife, because she's good at hand-to-hand combat, so she doesn't need much. Auricula goes right to the back to find a trident. I think Eddy may have one too. I pick a sword and a beautifully made crossbow. The bolts look deadly.

I find another nice looking sword and throw it to Theo. "Have another, Theo!" I shout at him. He nods in appreciation and attaches the sheath to his belt.

"Let's hunt them down!" Theo cries, jabbing his sword in the air. I stick my hand out. "Wait! Maybe we should pile up what's left here inside the Cornucopia and destroy it. Nobody else would be able to have it then." Everyone nods in agreement, so we get to work.

**Maliara Rocht (FD9)**

Alden and I narrowly escaped the careers. Theo and Lolita were running at us. I managed to pick up a spear, but I know that I'll find something that works better for me in the jungle. We decided to take one of the hatches and descend through the building. I don't know if anybody else went before or after us, but I don't really care.

We don't have any food, but within five minutes Alden pulls out some roots growing in a crack in the concrete. They taste slightly sweet and are pleasant to eat. We continue to walk.

"Hey," I say. "I heard what you said in the interview, and I want to ask you something." I pause. "Would you kiss me?" He looks at me and leans towards me. I go lower, as he is quite a bit shorter than me, and our lips touch.

Fireworks go off in my brain, and it's an amazing sensation. He tastes metallic, probably because of the air in District 3. I can't believe I'm kissing someone twelve years old. But for the pleasure I'm getting, I don't care. We step back and he grins.

That's when I hear the thud. His grin turns into a pained look, and I see the knife sticking out of his back. He crumples to the ground, revealing Juliet, Jayde and Terrilyn, who threw the knife. She looks horrified, as if she did realize it was Alden.

I look at him and hold him tight.

**Alden Bart (MD3)**

Terrilyn didn't mean it. I know she didn't. She just acted instinctively. I don't blame her. I look into Maliara's eyes. Tears are rolling down her face.

"Please don't go!" she screams. "Please don't go!"

But I can't hold on. I think of my mother at home. I think of Star, losing her only sibling. I think of my father, who I'll be joining. I look at my watch, which I managed to sneak into the arena. 45 minutes and 23 seconds: my lifespan in the arena. I hear the faint noise of a cannon as I fade into the light.

**Eddy Williams (MD4)**

A cannon echoes through the arena, symbolizing the sixth death of the Games. I'm really curious to who it is. We got some supplies from the Cornucopia without any problems. We have food and water that we mustn't be greedy with, and a weapon each. I got a trident, Vex got the scythe that Demetri had, and Timmy got the spear that killed Demetri.

We used our gliders to get over the jungle ring, although I probably would have been comfortable. We decided to go to the grassland area, as we suspected that everybody would be in the jungle or the forest.

It's an open area, but only somebody with superhero vision could see us from the Cornucopia building. I look the sky and estimate that it's about three o'clock. We keep walking until night comes. We then sit down under a baobab tree and wait for the deaths.

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**

I can't get over what I've done. I've killed a twelve year-old. I'm such an idiot. This poor boy was in for the first time, and I, out of everybody, landed the lethal blow.

I tell Juliet and Jayde to sleep, while I keep watch. Inside, I know they silently hate me for my crime, and I'll never be forgiven.

I pull out the single knife that our alliance has, and I observe the reflection of the moonlight on the blade. I begin to cry, and I plunge it into my chest.

The pain is overwhelming, and the world begins to spin. I yank out the blade and toss it aside. I feel myself fading away, becoming the world around me.

Then I drown in darkness.

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7)**

The cannon wakes us up. I check to see if Terrilyn's all right, and it doesn't seem to be the case. Our only knife is lying next to her, coated in blood, and her eyes are wide open, glassed over. I walk over to her and close her eyes. I see the precise stab wound directly where her heart is.

I know that she's committed suicide. She couldn't handle guilt. So when she killed Alden, she killed a young boy and Jayde's partner. Obviously she couldn't live with it.

The anthem beats through the arena, load and clear. Our eyes dart to the sky. We see the faces of Alden, Kat, Jak, Bennett, Terrilyn, Demetri and Inyx. The anthem fades out and Jayde and I drift off to sleep.

**A/N: Two deaths this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**

**Deaths so far:**

**Alden Bart (MD3) – Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)** _Placed 19th_

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2) **_Placed 20th_

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8) **_Placed 24th_

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**_Placed 23rd_

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8) – Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3) **_Placed 18th_

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9) **_Placed 21st_

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12) **_Placed 22nd_


	24. Weasels and Lions

**A/N: Sorry about the wait, everybody. I was on holiday getting some spring skiing in (because I'm an Aussie) and my apartment didn't have internet. On the plus side, you'll get some chapters to keep you busy.**

**Sacred Franco (FD1)**

The explosion is spectacular. The supplies are engulfed in a giant ball of flame, lighting up the night. I'm sure many tributes will hear and see it. We're all out of its way as the fuel fire torches the concrete, leaving a charred mark.

We all decide to keep going through the night, as it's our best shot at taking out the others. Our gliders were sabotaged, so we take the hatches on the corners. We make our way down, bloodthirsty and ready to go.

We stroll through the jungle, listening to the sounds of the wildlife echoing between the trees. I walk over to Xander and hold his hand. I really like him. He's so much better than Theo, the stuck-up retard from my district.

"Hey, Sacred," he whispers. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," I say. "I just need to be next to you." He giggles and turns to me. I look into his eyes, a beautiful smoky blue. He leans towards me and I do the same.

The kiss is magical. I taste his sweat, which is oddly delicious. He pushes me up against a tree and it becomes more passionate. His tongue invades my mouth, and mine does the same. We grab each other in inappropriate places, and I giggle.

Auricula pries us apart. "Guys, that's a bit too far for now," she says. "There's a time and a place." We walk with our hands interlocked. I don't know what happened there, but it's definitely going to happen again.

**Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

I don't know what sick form of affection just occurred between Xander and Sacred, but I'm glad Auricula split them up. It was just slowing us down.

The jungle at night is actually quite frightening. There are noises and sights most of us have never seen before. We're lucky to have Auricula with us, or we'd probably be stuffed.

Suddenly, I see something dart through the undergrowth. "Shut up!" I urgently whisper. I hear it rustle. We all draw our weapons. That's when it strikes.

The weasel-like mutt springs onto Sacred, teeth and claws bared. It begins to tear up her face, and we hear her screaming horribly. She waves her arms and legs in a frenzy. Xander looks horrified as chunks of flesh fly everywhere. The screaming and the thrashing suddenly stops, and Sacred's cannon fires.

That's when the onslaught comes.

What seems like thousands of them fly through the air. We swing our weapons around rapidly, and they fall back to the ground, dead. But there's just too many.

I trip on a vine that seems to slither across the ground. The mutts instantly swarm me. They crawl over my body, despite my kicking and thrashing. One of them swings their paw at my arm, and a claw rips a giant gash down my arm. It stings, but not too much. I manage to get up, brushing them off my body.

We run, but they are just as fast as us, perhaps faster. Theo throws his backpack onto the ground, and they decimate it in seconds. We all do the same, and sprint. The head start proves helpful, as we break through the jungle into the desert third of the arena.

The mutts seem to be trapped in the confines of the jungle. We all sigh in relief, but Xander seems torn apart. We all know how close he and Sacred were, and now she's gone. I walk over to him and hug him. It seems to calm him slightly, but we know that inside, we can't fix him. And that could be a problem.

The hovercraft appears from nowhere and outstretches its giant arms into the jungle. They resurface with a body. Sacred's unmistakable red hair hangs in the air as the arms return to the hovercraft, and the hovercraft disappears.

Lolita comes over to me and checks out the gash. "That's a beauty," she says. "Those mutts could have been infected. We need some bandages and antiseptic for that. Too bad the mutts got it."

Right on cue, the silver package plops onto the sand in front of us. Lolita grins and tends to my wound. Theo sits down and pipes up. "Well, that plan went to shit." We settle down and go to sleep.

**Vex Haynes (MD9)**

The grassland is boring. Eddy, Timmy and I have spent countless hours walking around. Every now and then we play noughts and crosses or hopscotch by etching lines in the dirt.

The first bit of interest is the lions. We see them sprint towards a stray wildebeest, and pounce. The blood sprays into a mist as the lions sink their teeth into the wildebeest's neck. They begin to tear it apart.

I walk a little closer, careful to not make any noise. I doubt they'll leave some meat for us, but we can try. Perhaps even kill the lions. Timmy could easily kill one with his spear, and Eddy could kill the other with his trident. Suddenly, I step on a twig. The snap echoes, and the lions' heads whip around. Oh sugar.

"Run!" I cry to Eddy and Timmy. I begin to sprint across the landscape, and the others do the same. But they're fast. The lions make the distance between us in mere seconds. One of them pounces.

I roll out of the way and keep on running. It catches up to me again, so I face it. I draw my sword and let him pounce. As his jaws are wide open, showing his sharp teeth, I drive the sword under his chin. The blade rips through the lion's mouth and blood sprays from his mouth. It sputters onto my face, warm and sticky. I pull out my sword and the lion drops to the grass, dead.

The other lion seems to have gone for Eddy and Timmy. They manage to outrun it for a bit, but they're eventually caught. They both fall to the ground, and they scramble across the ground. Eddy is quick and manages to make some distance from it.

Timmy is not so lucky.

The lion bites into his leg and he cries out in pain. Eddy and I can only watch in horror as he is dragged along, leaving a smear of blood on the grass. The lion takes him about ten metres away from us, before the real horror begins.

We are forced to look away as the lion begins to tear out Timmy's organs and eat his insides. The screams of pain are sickening to hear. Eddy and I listen to this for about thirty seconds, before the screaming dissipates and we hear the cannon.

In pure anger, Eddy races forward at the lion. He drives his trident deep into its skull, and it moans in agony. He pushes it deeper and the lion slumps to the ground. Eddy yanks the trident out of the lion and stands still, panting. We hear the hovercraft whizz off with Timmy's body.

Eddy and I don't say a word as we skin the lions and take the meat. I clean the skins and fashion some coats out of them. I hand one to Eddy and he nods in appreciation. We sit in silence as we cook and eat the meat.

I'm not sure how long it will take for us to get over Timmy's death.

**Oriel Rayne (FD5)**

The forest has proven to be a good home so far. We haven't seen any other tributes yet, which is good. There are plenty of creatures around, so Sam's traps have provided us with food. We also found a small pool of water, so we've set up camp there.

Sam hasn't been talking much, as he's still devastated about Kat's death. We were really surprised that a girl with her speed was killed. But I guess it was by the hands of a career, and she was the weakest of the group.

Rhys and I have noticed that we've had it easy in the arena. We won't be surprised if something comes for us very soon. I have a really bad feeling that it's just around the corner.

Eventually, night finally falls. We cook up some squirrels and munch into them. We hear the anthem of Panem echoing through the arena for the tributes to hear. We glance to the skies to discover that the two cannons that fired today belonged to Sacred and Timmy.

I really wonder what pickle the careers got into. Hopefully, it's put them in a vulnerable position. I'm also curious about Timmy's death. How he died with Eddy and Vex by his side confuses me. I wonder what state they're in now.

Rhys takes first watch, while Sam and I get some sleep. I hope nothing bad happens tonight. I don't want my face in the sky tomorrow night.

**A/N: The careers have no supplies; Eddy and Vex are emotionally destroyed and the underdogs are worried! What will happen next? **

**Deaths so far:**

**Sacred Franco (FD1) – Killed by weasel mutts**

**Alden Bart (MD3) – Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2)**

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8) – Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3)**

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9)**

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12) – Eaten alive by lions**


	25. An Eventful Night

**Samuel Jenkins (MD6)**

Rhys wakes me up for my watch and takes my sleeping spot. He instantly falls asleep, so I've officially taken watch. I pick up my shuriken and wait. But when I see what's coming, I realize that weapons won't help me now.

I shake Oriel and Rhys awake. "Pick up what we need!" I scream at them. They look stunned, but when they see the wave that crashes through the trees, they scramble around.

I pick up some food, water, sleeping gear and my weapons. The others do the same. We all know we can't outrun it, but we'll get washed away if we try to swim through it.

Rhys spots a flat rock that juts out of the ground. We run to it in hopes of shelter. Rhys and Oriel make it in time. I'm not so lucky.

I throw my supplies to them as the wave picks me up and washes me through the forest. Suddenly, I feel my spine snap as I hit a tree. The force of the wave pushes me further, and my spine continues to crack as my back bends around the tree.

The pain is excruciating, and I know that this is going to be the death of me. I let out a few tears that mingle with the water, before I'm swallowed by the darkness.

**Raven Blade (FD10)**

The cannon echoes through the dark night in the arena. Ash and I jolt awake. We raise our knives defensively, but we realize that nobody has come for us. Ash taps me on the shoulder.

"Raven, can you hear that?" he asks. I listen closely, and I do hear something. It sounds like an electronic hum. "Yes," I reply. "But what could it be?"

Ash is looking the other way. His mouth is wide open and his finger is pointing at something. "I think that would answer your question," he says. I turn around.

The robot is at least twice our size. Vines snake around its body. The steel plating has mostly rusted away, but there is a fearsome red glow in its eyes. Ash and I pick up our stuff and begin to run.

The robot thunders after us. His eyes glow even more and a laser is fired. It narrowly misses Ash and sizzles into a tree. The tree falls over just behind it. Then it hits me. If I can get the robot to hit a certain tree, it could fall on it and crush it.

I run a few metres ahead of my previous position and I wave my arms around. The robot's eyes glow brightly and a laser is fired. It singes a bit of my hair and burns through the base of the tree.

The tree begins to fall. Before the robot even has time to react, it crashes into its head, shutting it down. It sways in the air for a second, before hitting the ground with a thud.

Now I know what its purpose is. It could kill us potentially, but that noise has given us away to all the remaining tributes. I don't know how long it will take before a fight goes down. I have a feeling it'll be pretty soon, though.

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3)**

Juliet and I hear the thump. It echoes through the jungle, shaking the trees around. It can't be more than two hundred meters away. I pick up the knife and nod and Juliet. We set off.

After a short walk, we hear a rustling. I peer through the bushes to see Ash and Raven packing up their stuff. A dead, rusting robot lies nearby. I recognize it as the decommissioned Defender Mark IV. On its first trial run, it killed forty-seven citizens of District 3.

I notice a tree that hangs over their campsite. It seems to be shrouded in shadow. "Juliet," I say. "I'm going to climb that tree and kill one of the Tens with our knife. Then we run. Got it?" She nods and stays low.

I crawl over to the tree, careful not to make any noise. I feel the trunk, and it seems relatively easy to climb. I slowly ascend the tree, keeping my body hidden in the shadow. I get to a vantage point and take aim.

"We can see you, Jayde," Raven says. "And I'm assuming Juliet is here as well." I see Ash whip out a knife. In one swift motion, he tosses it through the air towards me. I dodge it slightly, but it digs into my leg. The pain makes me lose my balance, and I fall out of the tree.

The wind is knocked out of me as I hit the jungle floor. Raven hands Ash another knife. He walks over to me and grins evilly. The moonlight reflects off the blade. He sits on top of me, pinning me down. I close my eyes as the cool metal rips through my throat.

The blood spurts everywhere, especially onto Ash. He doesn't seem to mind. I look around to see Juliet, with a horrified look on her face, sprinting away before anything happens to her.

The world begins to spin around. I see Clariza in my mind. She's telling me to hold on. I know that I can't, though. And then I see two mysterious faces. A man and a woman. I know who they are. They're my parents. Suddenly, their mouths open and I fall into darkness.

**Lolita Verona (FD2)**

We don't know how it happened, but it did. I've heard two cannons while I've been on watch. I've also heard a giant thump from the jungle. I really want to find out what happened. But it's too risky.

Suddenly, I hear something move through the sand behind me. I slowly turn around and see a snake. It hisses loudly, and bunches more rise from the sand. They've had two deaths in a few hours. Why do they need more death right now?

I shake the others awake, careful not to provoke the snakes. Xander looks particularly horrified. Theo seems to be quiet and patient. Max and Auricula are still too drowsy to care.

That's when Xander moves. He runs across the sand. "Get way now! Run!" he cries. We pick up our weapons and begin to run. The sand of the desert slows us down quite a bit.

But when I look behind, Xander seems to be unaffected. But the snakes are more adapted to the environment than he is. All it takes is one bite in his ankle and he collapses. I watch on in shock as they form a cocoon around his body, continuously biting him. We hear a few yells of pain, but the cannon fires pretty quickly.

By this time, we've managed to make a huge amount of distance between the snakes and us. But we've got a problem. As all the creatures are, the snakes are confined to the desert. They'll catch us if we don't go into the jungle. But the weasel mutts are there. Theo seems to want to go for the jungle.

We all crash through the growth back into the jungle. We keep running, because we hear the growling of the weasel mutts behind us. None of us slow down, and before long, we find ourselves in the grassland.

I can tell that we're all exhausted, because we collapse onto the grass. I sit there and think about Xander. My district partner, smart, brave and good-looking. If I were his age, I'd want to date him. But the snakes cruelly ended his life. At least he's with Sacred now.

**Maliara Rocht (FD9)**

I sit in the cave, cold and alone. If everything went to plan, Alden would be here with me. But Terrilyn killed him. I hold the knife that was thrown into his back in my hands. Alden's blood is still there. It just makes the pain worse.

I know Terrilyn's dead, but anybody associated with her must die. Jayde and Juliet. I'm not sure if they're dead or not, but my rage for them burns inside me. I go over to the smooth rock and begin to etch.

_KILL JAYDE KILL JULIET LET THEIR BLOOD FLOW LET MY KNIFE END THEIR LIVES LET THEM FEEL ALDENS PAIN…_

**A/N: Sam got his spine snapped, a robot attacked the Tens, Ash killed Jayde and snakes took down Xander! But most of all, Maliara has gone mad and murderous! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Twelve tributes are dead, twelve remain.**

**Deaths so far:**

**Sacred Franco (FD1) – Killed by weasel mutts**

**Xander Quinn (MD2) – Killed by snakes**

**Alden Bart (MD3) – Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3) – Stabbed in the leg and throat slit by Ash Castello (MD10)**

**Samuel Jenkins (MD6) – Snapped spine on a tree due to a wave**

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2)**

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8) – Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3)**

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9)**

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12) – Eaten alive by lions**


	26. Death All Around

**Eddy Williams (MD4)**

Yesterday was a very calm day. There were no deaths, apart from the ones in the early hours of the morning. Vex and I watched the skies last night and saw the faces of Xander, Jayde and Samuel. That sends the careers down to four members, the Fives are on their own and Juliet has lost her final ally. She's all alone in the arena, now. I feel slightly sorry for her.

Vex and I have finally gotten over Timmy's death. We now have begun to talk again and we've discussed strategy. "I reckon we should move to the forest," I say. "I saw the careers come into the grassland last night." Vex nods.

"Hey, Eddy," he says. "I think when the final eight comes around, we should go our own ways." I shake his hand. It'll be sad to leave Vex, but I'll get over it quickly, compared to Timmy.

We pack up the remaining lion meat and the rest of our belongings, before setting off. The forest seems to be about four hundred metres away from our current location, so we'll get there in no time.

The sun beats down on us as we make our way into the lush forest. It's much shadier than our previous location, and I like it that way. The ground seems wet, which is odd.

Vex spies a large, flat rock that looks like a great home for a campsite. We stroll over and get the biggest shock of our lives. It's Oriel and Rhys.

**Rhys Ingredo (MD5)**

Shit.

Vex swings his scythe at my neck. I instinctively do a backwards roll, and he only manages to tear a bit of my pants. I glance over at Oriel. Oh god.

Eddy has thrown his trident into Oriel's stomach. I see the blood soaking her t-shirt in a growing stain. It pours onto the forest floor, coloring the dirt red. I begin to cry as any sign of life leaves her body. The cannon snaps me back into reality.

Vex swipes at me again, this time drawing blood from my arm. I feel the pain, but I don't let it slow me down. I kick out and land a satisfying blow on Vex. He staggers backwards, temporarily stunned. But my troubles aren't over.

I feel the trident whoosh past my face. I roll over and lash out at the back of his knee. He crumples slightly, leaving me time to scramble away. I reach for my spear, but it isn't there. And then I realize the truth.

I don't have time to react as Eddy sinks my spear into my back. The pain overwhelms me, and I collapse to the ground. I can feel the sharp point taking my life from me.

As my breaths get shorter, I feel for my mother. She's going to need help, now that I'm not going to be there for her. I have a really bad feeling she'll join my father and I.

The cannon echoes through the arena as I leave the realm of the living.

**Ash Castello (MD10)**

The two cannons are loud and clear. It could potentially be Vex and Eddy, but I have a feeling that the cannons belonged to Oriel and Rhys. Poor guys. The odds were never in their favor.

Raven and I have moved from the jungle and have relocated to the grassland. It's much more open than the jungle, so we can see any tributes nearby.

Our campsite is situated under a giant tree, shading us from the blistering sun that pounds down on us during the day. We're getting worried now as our food and water supplies are running low. I hope there's something to kill in this vast savannah.

Raven's lying back, having a rest. She's been exerting herself the past few days, helping me hunt. She's done lots more than she's needed to, so I well earned.

But she doesn't seem to want it.

Her jaw drops and she points behind me. "Ca…ca…car…" she stammers. She doesn't need to finish. I whip around and see the four remaining careers racing towards us.

I pick up two knives and Raven picks up one. The careers are equipped much more. Theo's still got the sword that he killed Bennett with in the Bloodbath. Auricula's got her untouched trident. Max has got some sharp throwing knives, which glint in the sunlight. And Lolita has the axe that is still coated in Kat's dried blood.

But I look at the state of their clothes. They're torn and ragged. Their faces show exhaustion and pain. I see the bandage wrapped around Max's arm. I know now why they've come. They need supplies.

But I've spent too much time sizing up the careers. Theo's sword has already cut open a huge gash across my chest. The world goes fuzzy as I collapse to the ground. I see Raven pick up my knives and sprint for her life. I wonder how far she'll make it before one of Max's knives ends her.

I think of my brother as I drift away. He was a victor. We were doing so well. I could have been one as well. But I wasn't ruthless enough. I've let the family down.

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7)**

The cannon shakes the trees in the jungle. I wonder who it was. That's three cannons today. I hope that's enough bloodshed for the Capitol.

I look to the skies to see the grey clouds letting the rain loose. In the jungle, it's warm and sticky. My clothes cling to my chest.

I'm in a bad way. I have no weapons, no food, no water, no anything. Anyone could kill me in my vulnerable state right now. It would be easy.

I see a cave that could provide good shelter for me. I quickly dash over to it, as any more exposure to rain could make me sick. I'm instantly overcome with relief.

As I walk in, I see a faint light. It might be an artificial fire from the Capitol. I look all around me, and that's when I see it. The scrawl.

_ALDEN MUST BE AVENGED JAYDE IS DEAD JULIET MUST DIE THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR BLOOD MUST STAIN THE FLOOR RED THEY WILL FEEL PAIN PAIN KILL JULIET KILL JULIET…_

I want to run but I'm frozen in fear. Someone is in here, and they want to kill me. They want to avenge Alden. I think I know who it is.

"Welcome to my cave," Maliara croaks from the darkness. "Finally, the moment I've been waiting for. Alden will be avenged." She springs out with a blood-coated knife in her hand.

I'm pushed onto the cold stone floor. Maliara punches me across the face. I begin to feel dizzy as the punches keep on coming. I feel blood trickling from my nose into my mouth. The metallic taste only makes me woozier.

Finally, Maliara plunges her knife into me. I feel the worst pain I've ever felt as she carves something in my flesh. I know that I'm going to die.

In my last moments of life, I think of my brothers. Henry and James have trained me for this, yet look at me now. I hope they remember me. Then I think of my father. Does he feel anything now?

I look at my chest and see what Maliara has carved in my body.

FOR ALDEN BART.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sorry if I killed off your favorites! But onto better things…we've reached the top eight! Interviews of the families are coming next chapter. I've also changed the poll to your two favorite remaining tributes, so go to my profile to vote.**

**Deaths so far:**

**Sacred Franco (FD1) – Killed by weasel mutts**

**Xander Quinn (MD2) – Killed by snakes**

**Alden Bart (MD3) – Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3) – Stabbed in the leg and throat slit by Ash Castello (MD10)**

**Rhys Ingredo (MD5) – Spear in the back from Eddy Williams (MD4)**

**Oriel Rayne (FD5) – Trident in stomach from Eddy Williams (MD4)**

**Samuel Jenkins (MD6) – Snapped spine on a tree due to a wave**

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2)**

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7) – Chest carved into words by Maliara Rocht (FD9)**

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8) – Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3)**

**Ash Castello (MD10) – Sword slash across chest from Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9)**

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12) – Eaten alive by lions**


	27. Career Collapse

**Theo Harpond (MD1)**

I'm on watch tonight. We've claimed a lovely new campsite from the Tens. Unfortunately, only one of them is dead. But on the upside, we finally have some stuff again.

The moon shines onto the grassland, illuminating it in an eerie glow. It's the right atmosphere for some killing. I feel the urge to ditch the careers right now, slitting one of their throats.

I pack up some food, water and some knives, along with my sword in my belt. I pull out a particularly nasty looking one, and survey the tributes. Which one should I kill?

Max would get me in an instant, so that's a no-no. I think Auricula is more of a dangerous career, despite the fact that she hasn't killed yet.

I walk over to her sleeping body, and laugh inside. It's hilarious that such a great career is going to be ended in one swift motion. I slice the knife across her throat and run.

I hear a gurgling noise as she drowns in her own blood. It pleasures me to hear such a sound, but I can't stay here. I've got to get out of here.

I'm already in the forest when the cannon fires. And in good time too. I look to the skies as the anthem plays. The faces flash in the sky, indicating that Auricula, Rhys, Oriel, Juliet and Ash have died today.

And then there were seven.

**Lolita Verona (FD2)**

What a dick. Theo slit poor Auricula's throat and scarpered with our supplies. She lies on the bloodstained grass, her eyes glazed over. We watch as the anthem ends and she is lifted into the sky. Max and I look at each other and we both know what we have to do. Theo's face must appear in the sky.

We collect the minimal stuff we still have and set off. We know he's in the forest, because he's left an evident trail of trampled grass. We stroll into the last area of the arena and find a surprise.

A big rusty train sits in the dried leaves. Max and I run up to it and look inside. There are supplies, from food and water to compasses and sleeping bags, littered all around. We step inside, before we realize it's a mistake.

The doors shut behind us, and we hear a puff of steam. The train begins to move, so we try to keep calm. Max finds a lever stuck to a wall. When she pulls it, the doors open. But when she lets go, the door closes again. The idea of this trap is revealed to me. One has to die for everybody else to escape.

We pack up some stuff and put it in a bag. At this point, the train is thundering through the forest. Max holds the lever and tells me to go, but I can't. I want her to win this thing.

I pick up the bag and shove it into her arms. I hold the lever down and look into her eyes. "Max," I say. "Win this thing for me. For all the other careers that have died. And make sure Theo dies at your hand." I see the tears begin to flow as she jumps out.

I let go and slump onto a chair. This train is bound to hit a tree sometime soon. I look out the window to see the forest disappear. Instead, I thunder into the jungle. I'm not sure where this joy ride is taking me, but I'm appreciating how much extra life I've been given. And then it happens.

A block of concrete marks the end of the line, and the end of my life. The metal crumples as it makes contact. The last thing I see is the ball of flame that is rushing towards me, before the world becomes abruptly black.

**Vex Haynes (MD9)**

There are six of us left now. I'm not sure who died about two minutes ago but it's not me, thank god. I really hope it's Maliara, because I don't want to kill her. I believe the explosion I heard would explain it.

Eddy and I made the separation, like we agreed to. I went back to the jungle and he made his way back into the grassland. The humid rain is pouring down, drenching me from head to toe. I need shelter fast.

The cave almost magically appears in front of me. I dash inside, with my scythe ready, just incase someone is waiting for me. I look to the walls and analyse the scrawl that another tribute has carved into the smooth rock. It belongs to Maliara.

She walks out towards me, her knife bright red with dried blood. "Vex, it's great to see you again," she says. "How have you been? I've been good. I've been in this cave for all of the Games, writing on the walls." I look at her intently. She's obviously eaten almost nothing, because she is literally skin and bones.

"I did kill Juliet, and finally avenged Alden," she croaks. "But I can't stop there. I need to make it home, and you're in my way." Despite her form, she springs through the air and slices at me with her knife. I narrowly dodge the attack and finish business.

I can't believe that I'm doing this, but I am. The scythe tears into her back, and she cries in pain. I pull the scythe out and deliver the final blow. Maliara lays spread-eagled on the floor when the cannon fires.

I feel so guilty, yet I'm another step closer to going home. Four tributes stand in my way. I can't be next.

**Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

I am still reeling from the train incident. I heard the explosion followed by a cannon and I knew that Lolita was gone. But I heard what she said. I'll find Theo, and let him know that he was an asshole. Of course, death comes next.

As I walk through the forest, I hear a rustling. I turn to the bush that shakes and slowly pace towards it. But it's only a squirrel. It scampers away in the undergrowth. And then I hear the laugh.

Theo is standing only a few metres away from me. The cocky grin on his face enrages me. "How did you like my little surprise?" he asks. I shrug my shoulders. "It wasn't as good as yours will be," I say, as the knife leaves my hand.

I expected a fight, but my skills have outdone me this time. The knife hits him in the throat, spraying a mist of blood. He yanks out the knife and clutches his throat, but it's too late. He falls to the floor and the cannon fires.

I have avenged Lolita. And that pleases me. I'm so close to home now. Just three more tributes. Who they are is still a mystery. And that could be my downfall.

**A/N: Wow, I just killed four tributes, three of them careers. I know Lolita was popular in the votes, but I had to kill a favorite. Sorry Diao Lover! Mockingjay's Flames, I know you loved Auricula but nobody else did. And kill no mercy, Theo was too much of a dick to win. **

**I'm guessing there will be one more chapter to end the Games. Who will win? Will it be Eddy, Vex, Raven or Max?**

**Deaths so far:**

**Theo Harpond (MD1) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

**Sacred Franco (FD1) – Killed by weasel mutts**

**Xander Quinn (MD2) – Killed by snakes**

**Lolita Verona (FD2) – Killed in train crash**

**Alden Bart (MD3) – Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**

**Jayde Nightrose (FD3) – Stabbed in the leg and throat slit by Ash Castello (MD10)**

**Auricula Simmons (FD4) – Throat slit by Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Rhys Ingredo (MD5) – Spear in the back from Eddy Williams (MD4)**

**Oriel Rayne (FD5) – Trident in stomach from Eddy Williams (MD4)**

**Samuel Jenkins (MD6) – Snapped spine on a tree due to a wave**

**Kat Powers (FD6) – Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2)**

**Jak Brentlee (MD7) – Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8)**

**Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7) – Chest carved into words by Maliara Rocht (FD9)**

**Bennett Rochard (MD8) – Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8) – Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3)**

**Maliara Rocht (FD9) – Scythe in the back from Vex Haynes (MD9)**

**Ash Castello (MD10) – Sword slash across chest from Theo Harpond (MD1)**

**Demetri Norfolk (MD11) – Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9)**

**Inyx Watch (FD11) – Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12) – Eaten alive by lions**


	28. The Final Showdown

**Raven Blade (FD10)**

I've somehow managed to catch a squirrel with my bare hands. It wriggles around, trying to escape my grip, but I'm faster. I snap its neck, and it stops, leaving me with a meal.

I've been living it tough since the careers attacked. We were so well off but Theo slashed Ash across the chest and I knew I had to go. I have three knives though, which helps. I skin the squirrel and cook it over my fire.

The day has passed very quickly and night has come. I look to the skies to check out the deaths of today. Really interestingly, I see Theo, Lolita and Maliara. That leaves me, Eddy, Vex and Max. Four tributes. The Games are nearly over.

Now I play the waiting game.

**Eddy Williams (MD4)**

I don't want to kill Vex. I really don't. But when there are four of us left, I think it's inevitable. I still can't comprehend the fact that twenty of us have died, including Auricula. I'm surprised that I outlasted her.

I hold my trident tightly, incase anybody jumps out at me. I've made it back to the grassland, and I see no signs of life. I'm still keeping my eyes peeled for mutts or something like that. I really want to go home.

That's when I see them. Burning up the grass, leaving a trail of ash in their path. They look human-like, but they're obviously not. The one at the head of the pack looks very familiar. There is a bright red '4' blazing on its fiery chest. I know what it's meant to be. Auricula.

They're pulling the trick that they used two-hundred-and-one years ago in the 74th Hunger Games. The wolf mutts looked like the dead tributes to freak the finalists out. Now they're doing the same to us.

I begin to sprint across the grassland back into the jungle. The fire mutts are right behind me. It's an exhausting task, but I'm not going to die. I can't.

I burst through the jungle and I keep sprinting, making sure I don't trip on the vines and undergrowth. The mutts are burning a hole in the jungle behind me.

Finally, the jungle subsides and the Cornucopia building looms ahead of me. I run through the door and begin to race up the stairs. My heart is pumping hard inside my chest.

But they're still coming, faster than ever.

Suddenly, I trip on a stair and I know that it's all over. I collapse to the ground and see the Auricula fire mutt racing towards me. The moment it touches me, I think of my family.

Despite the excruciating pain, I keep my mother and father in my mind. I keep John-David in my mind. But most of all, I keep Gary and Matthew in my mind. I look down at myself and see scorched bones. They have melted the flesh off my bones.

I feel myself fade into the light. I was so close. I hope Vex makes it home.

**Maxine Hunter (FD12)**

I hear the cannon as the fire mutts chase me. Despite the daytime, they project Eddy's face in the sky. That leaves me, Raven and Vex. And I'm sure we're all heading in the same direction.

I burst through the terrain, not slowing down my pace. I can't afford to stop now. Not when the Victor's Village is so close.

I make my way up the Cornucopia building with ease. They chase me up the endless flight of stairs, before I finally open the hatch and close it, temporarily stopping the fire mutts from getting to me.

But I was too slow. Raven and Vex are already there. And they seem to have formed a team.

I whip out two knives and instinctively toss them at Raven. She dodges the first one but the second one buries itself in her stomach. She rips out the knife and tosses it to Vex, before she crumples to the floor.

I see the anger in Vex's eyes, and I know that I've made a mistake. I should have targeted Vex instead. Now I know that I'm a goner.

Vex sprints towards me with my knife in one hand and his scythe in the other. Before I can get another knife, he throws his and it digs into my shoulder. I stagger backwards before the next blow comes. The scythe rips across my chest, and I'm filled with pain.

I have nothing to go back to. If I had won, I could have had more than I've ever had. But it's too late. I watch as the blood seeps out, taking my life with it. The world goes bright, before spiraling into darkness.

**Vex Haynes (MD9)**

The cannon fires and I know Max is dead. My scythe ended her life, and the guilt begins to consume me. But I can't think about that now. I drop my scythe and run over to Raven.

The blood oozes out of her stomach, and I know I can't save her. I see the tears pour down her face, and I instantly hold her in my arms.

"Hey, Vex," she whispers. "You really deserved it." And with that, her eyes close for the last time, and the cannon booms through the arena, although I'm the only person left to hear it.

The voice of Caesar Flickerman the VIII, who had doubled up as announcer and presenter, is projected loud and clear through the arena. "Everybody, please congratulate, from District Nine, Vex Haynes, victor of the 275th Annual Hunger Games!"

It hits me. I've won. I'm going home, back to District Nine. They never thought a thirteen-year-old could do it, but I have. But the guilt of killing will never leave me alone.

As the ladder drops down from the hovercraft, I think of all the people that I stopped from going home. I grab onto the ladder and the electricity freezes me in place.

I killed Demetri, because he had my weapon of choice. I theoretically killed Eddy, because we split. Maliara, my district partner, died at my hands. I helped Eddy kill Rhys and Oriel, who didn't deserve to be here. I killed Max, in pure anger. But most of all, I failed to protect Raven, and now she's gone.

The Hunger Games are wrong.

**A/N: So, the Games are over. I'm sorry it was short, as it's my first try writing one of these. I'm pretty sure you guys predicted Vex winning, because I made it quite obvious. Thank you to everyone who read my story, and I appreciate the support you guys have given me. I will be writing a sequel, which will be longer and more detailed. I'm collaborating with my friend, so hopefully we can improve the quality of my writing. You guys are amazing. – Mathomalogical**

**DEATHS IN ORDER**

_In 24__th__ place, _**Jak Brentlee (MD7)**** – **_**Skull broken by Bennett Rochard (MD8)**_

_In 23__rd__ place, _**Bennett Rochard (MD8)**** – **_**Sword through the stomach and thrown off the Cornucopia building by Theo Harpond (MD1)**_

_In 22__nd__ place, _**Inyx Watch (FD11)** – _**Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**_

_In 21__st__ place, _**Demetri Norfolk (MD11)**** – **_**Spear to the head from Vex Haynes (MD9)**_

_In 20__th__ place__, _**Kat Powers (FD6)**** – **_**Axe in the back from Lolita Verona (FD2)**_

_In 19__th__ place, _**Alden Bart (MD3)**** – **_**Knife in the back from Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**_

_In 18__th__ place, _**Terrilyn Frazier (FD8)**** – **_**Committed suicide from guilt of killing Alden Bart (MD3)**_

_In 17__th__ place,_**Sacred Franco (FD1)**** – **_**Killed by weasel mutts**_

_In 16__th__ place,_**Timmy Rodriguez-Jennielyd (MD12)**** – **_**Eaten alive by lions**_

_In 15__th__ place,_**Samuel Jenkins (MD6****) – **_**Snapped spine on a tree due to a wave**_

_In 14__th__ place,_**Jayde Nightrose (FD3)**** – **_**Stabbed in the leg and throat slit by Ash Castello (MD10)**_

_In 13__th__ place,_**Xander Quinn (MD2)**** – **_**Killed by snakes**_

_In 12__th__ place,_**Oriel Rayne (FD5)**** – **_**Trident in stomach from Eddy Williams (MD4)**_

_In 11__th__ place,_**Rhys Ingredo (MD5)**** – **_**Spear in the back from Eddy Williams (MD4)**_

_In 10__th__ place,_**Ash Castello (MD10)**** – **_**Sword slash across chest from Theo Harpond (MD1)**_

_In 9__th__ place,_** Juliet Ann Knightly (FD7)**** – **_**Chest carved into words by Maliara Rocht (FD9)**_

_In 8__th__ place,_**Auricula Simmons (FD4)**** – **_**Throat slit by Theo Harpond (MD1)**_

_In 7__th__ place,_**Lolita Verona (FD2)**** – **_**Killed in train crash**_

_In 6__th__ place,_**Maliara Rocht (FD9)**** – **_**Scythe in the back from Vex Haynes (MD9)**_

_In 5__th__ place,_**Theo Harpond (MD1)**** – **_**Throwing knife in the throat from Maxine Hunter (FD12)**_

_In 4__th__ place, _**Eddy Williams (MD4)**** – **_**Flesh melted by Firecracker mutts**_

_In 3__rd__ place, _**Maxine Hunter (FD12)** – _**Knife in shoulder and scythe slash across chest from Vex Haynes (MD9)**_

_In 2__nd__ place, _**Raven Blade (FD10)**** – **_**Died of blood loss from knife wound in stomach inflicted by Maxine Hunter (FD12)**_

_**VICTOR: **_**VEX HAYNES OF DISTRICT NINE**


	29. Victor: Ten Years Later

**TEN YEARS LATER**

I'm sitting at the television screen, anxiously watching my tribute. Brietta, Jiminy and Tomas sit next to me. We're down to the final four, and the female tribute representing District Nine, Farrah, is fighting at the Cornucopia.

They've all been invited to the feast, but it seems like this fight will end the Games. The tribute from Twelve is cut down by the tribute from Six, and the cannon fires. Brietta pounds her fist on the desk and walks off. She was a mentor when I competed. She's always hated me for killing her best tribute, Maxine.

The tribute from Six is jumped by the tribute from Eleven, who cuts her throat wide open. She gasps as the blood streams out, but it's too late. She falls to the ground as the cannon fires. Tomas storms off. He won the year after me.

It's down to Farrah and the Eleven. But I know that Farrah is a goner, because her enemy is brutal. The sword leaves the Eleven's hand and cuts into Farrah's chest. The cannon fires almost instantly. I pound my fist on the table while Jiminy jumps up and cheers. He deserves it though. He's been mentoring for almost forty years.

Mentoring is a horrible job. You know that at least one of your tributes is going to die. Unfortunately, I've had to look after ten young boys and girls that never had a chance. Farrah was the closest I've ever gotten to winning. But it's too bad. It's inevitable.

Every time I watch the Games, I make connections to tributes from my experience. If I see a cocky career, I think of Theo. If I see someone that goes mad, Maliara springs to mind. When I see a faithful ally for my tributes, I see Timmy and Eddy. But they all died ten years ago.

Every night, the people I killed haunt my mind. Demetri, Maliara, Rhys, Oriel, Eddy and Max are there every night. But it always ends when Raven, who I failed to protect, comes up to me and kills me in a different way each time. I will never be ridden of that guilt.

That's what happens to victors.


End file.
